P·R·I·N·C·E
by Shirogami
Summary: If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine. NO Shoujo Ai, NO lovey dovey, PURE Action Packed. MaixNatxOC
1. Monday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline.  
__This story was written with some minor changes from the animation itself, so please bear with its inconvenience.  
__Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

_If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine._

**Monday **

It is the same morning for the second day of the week. As the day is dawning and the sun shines its light upon the land, everyone is preparing for the start of the day. Along the street you even notice some hardworking teenagers are doing part-time job by delivering newspapers.

And Tokiha Mai is one of them.

After she earned a scholarship and transferred to her new school a month ago with her only family – her little sickly brother, Tokiha Takumi, Mai now bears the responsibility of a mother as well to earn income for daily expenses and expensive medical fees for his heart disease treatment. Fortunately, unlike other teenage girls who love fame and wealth more than anything else, Mai prefers respectable way to being a part-timer as restaurant waitress and newspaper delivery.

"Fuh, I guess that's all for today. Ah, good morning, mister, here's your paper." Mai stops by a grocery store and greets its owner along with the last copy of the newspaper. She eases off the helmet and flips it behind her, and slowly sweeps her orange hair with her other hand to loosen them so her head will feel more refreshed. Her flying sweat shine like crystal in the air, reflected by the golden sunshine from her back.  
Mai gives a small breath, checks the basket in front of her bicycle and smiles happily. As a part-timer, nothing cheers more than able to finish the job earlier and takes the payment as soon as possible. She drinks some water from the bottle she kept in the basket. The water slipped out from her fast gulping slowly sliding down to her chin, then along her neck until her breast. All of her movement may looks normal for a teenager, but not for a middle-aged shopkeeper who is watching her now with a light blush on his cheek.  
After she finished, Mai twists the bottle cap and looks at her watch. "Okay, time for school. Good day, mister." As soon as she leaves the grocery store and guns back to hostel, a dark shadow slowly appears from the alley and observes her target wickedly.

_I found you, Tokiha Mai_

It's 7.30 am in the same morning, and also another starting day for the students of Fuuka Academy.

**LOVE, IS NOT ALLOWED.**

The very first rule which stated loudly and clearly for every student of Fuuka Academy but some of them just don't buy it and date secretly.  
Right around the corner of the school, near a small garden planted with various flowers, a pair of couple is talking in secret.  
Unfortunately, they are not lovers.

"So, there is still no sign of another Orphan?" Kuga Natsuki, a long, marine-blue haired HiME with a cool character, is standing under the tree and asking the gardening teacher before her.  
"Nothing for now, everything seems fine for the time being." The gardening man answers, while he lifts up his spectacles and wipes his face with the towel that rung on his neck. "But isn't it good enough, Kuga? No battle, and peaceful place to live."  
"Hmph! Not for me." Natsuki starts to walk away since there is nothing she can get.

At the same time, a teenage boy, dressed in white shirt and light brown slacks, looses several of his shirts' buttons and reveals the crimson singlet under it. Many girls passed by the stranger will take a second look for his obvious yellow spiky hair followed a long ponytail reaches his waist. He is around six feet tall, which fits well along with his firm abdomen and broad shoulder. On his back he carries a club bag and a normal square school bag with his left arm. There is a luggage next to him too.  
His jet black eyes observe the metal plate that planted on the red brick pillar next to the entrance gate.

**FUUKA ACADEMY**

He slowly takes out a handkerchief and wipes his sweating forehead. "Man, this is hot." He complains the bad weather, but he behaves seriously after he looks at the envelope with 'To Director Kazahana Mashiro' written on it.  
"But, if she can help me as 'she' said, this may worth it." The teenager stretches out both of his arms and twists his head a bit. "Well, let's pay the director a visit, shall I?" then he pulls the bag's belt tighter to his shoulder and starts walking. Just when he almost reaches the corner of the pillar, a person bumps him from behind and starts to fall down by his side.  
"Huah" A female voice catches his attention. The teenager let goes all his holdings on impulse, and reaches out his left hand to catch the person, while the other arm grabs the pillar to support himself.

"Ah I am saved." The person is Mai, and she is rushing to the school because she is almost late. She feels relieved at first, but stands up quickly after she noticed a stranger was catching her arm and staring at her.  
"Are you… alright?" the teenager's cheek blushes when his eyes are in contact with hers.  
"Yes, I am. Thank you." Then Mai glances at her watch. "Oh, my God! I am late, please excuse me!"  
"Wait! Do you know where the director's office is?" he asks while watching she goes.  
"It's a huge house far right to that direction, across a large garden, you will see it." Mai points to the right while she is running far enough.  
"Thank… thank you." The teenager yells the last word with his palm hold by his mouth, acts like a speaker. Then he takes his stuff and keeps walking towards the direction Mai had pointed him to.

"Mai, are you okay? You seem so tired." Higurashi Akane, one of Mai's classmates, asks after she noticed the panting girl took her seat.  
"I'm fine. It's just Mikoto, she was sick this morning." Mai lies herself on the desk and gives a relieved sigh, then closes her tiring eyes, wishing she can take a nap right now.  
"That energetic Mikoto? Now that's NEWS. What happened?" Mai's another friend, Harada Chie, adjusts her unique small rectangle glasses and wants to hear more, while her buddy, Senou Aoi tends to hear too.  
"Stomachache, resulted from couldn't wait for my breakfast and ate the whole piece of ham… uncooked." Mai covers her face when she remembers Mikoto vomited many times before she finally gave up and let Mai took her to the nearest clinic.

_Thank God the doctor didn't charge his neighbor for minor cases._

"So, where is she now?" Akane concerns and keeps asking.  
"Resting at home. Don't worry. She is resilient, you know her." Mai returns her friends a convincing smile.  
"I hope so." Akane finishes the conversation, as the teacher is entering the classroom.

"So, this is the reason you're sent here." The director of the Fuuka Academy, Kazahana Mashiro, talks softly to the spiked-haired teenager that is standing still in front of her right now. She folded the letter and put on her limp legs, along with the envelope had her name written on it. While her maid, Himeno Fumi, serves tea on the table next to them, Mashiro observes the teenager carefully.  
"Yes, Director Kazahana." The teenager answers with full of respect, as he knew she is worth for it, although he cannot believe what he is seeing.

_The director of an academy is a disfigured child aged around 7-8 years old? You're gonna be kidding me!_  
But, when he is looking into her eyes, he ensures himself that her thinking is far more 'intelligent' for a child in her age, even him too. 

"Please ease yourself, if what written in this letter is true, then I shall have no reason to stop you…" After a short silence, Mashiro finally speaks and unfolds the letter again to catch his name, "Keiji, am I right?"  
"Yes, and for the unique reason, I have to change my name to Akitoh Keiji. I hope you understand my situation." Keiji quickly bows and hoping his request won't be a hard one.  
"That won't be a problem, name registration is a paper work. What's more important is…" Mashiro's mouth mumbles some last words along with her uncertainty look upon him.  
After Keiji heard her worries, he raises his head with a smile and answers her, "I understand. But if you have faith in 'her', Director Kazahana, please do the same to me as well."  
"Of course, 'she' sent you after all." Mashiro finally decides to believe him. "You can leave your luggage here, I will get some man to sent it to your new room." Mashiro hands over a piece of paper to him, "This will be the address."  
"Thank you, Director Kazahana, for allowing my ridiculous request." Keiji gives a low bow again. "I think I shall go for my first class now, time is running."  
Before Keiji gets his bags and leaves the guest room, Mashiro stops him and asks for something she is still wondering until now.  
Keiji looks back to the director, forces himself a smile and gives her a certain and satisfying answer.

"Did you hear that? We got a transferred student today!" Some female students start gossiping before the next section of class starts  
"Another after Yuichi…" Mai thinks when she heard the rumors. Tate Yuichi, another male student who was transferred at the same time with Mai, had always been the person she always quarrels with, but the more they fight, the more they become closer and understand each other. They are not lover though, but only time can tell.  
Currently, Yuichi is leaving to participate Kendo competition as school representative.

"Really?" The gossip continues.  
"I am damn sure! And I bet he will be here by any minute!" Chie acts cool and answers.  
_Huh? _Mai starts wondering.  
"Did you just say 'he'?" Some girls are getting excited.  
"Yup." Chie adjusts her glasses until a spark shines on it.  
"Ah I just hope he is handsome" A girl holds her palms together and prays.  
"Not the one I just bumped on this morning!" Mai touches her lips with her fingertips and wonders.  
"Mai-san? Something wrong?" Akane notices Mai's reaction and asks.  
"Huh? No, I am okay, hahaha..." Mai closes her eyes and smiles.

The sliding door of the class is opened slowly and students are returning to their own seats. Two figures enter the class and one of them is carrying bags with him.  
"Students, today we had a new student today. Introduce yourself please." The teacher looks at the spiky haired boy and leaves the self-introduction to himself.

"Good afternoon, my name is Akitoh Keiji. Please to meet you." Keiji writes his name as 'winter-far-celebrate-second' in Kanji on the blackboard behind him and finishes with a bow. His ponytail slides slowly over his shoulder.  
"_He may not handsome as we expected… but his hairstyle is so cool."_ Keiji barely hears the talk.  
"Keiji-kun will be studying with us for a week," The teacher states out Keiji's situation "He is in the middle of experiencing different schools' environment before he confirms his studying place. So be friendly with him, okay?"  
"What? Only a week?" Some female students shout out. "That's too short!"  
"Too short for what?" The teacher stares at the questioning group and asks.  
"N… nothing, nothing at all, hahaha…" the female group forces themselves a smile and avoid further questions.

Like a culture of any studying place, the new student will be given the opportunity for the class to ask him question, sort of orientation session.  
"Then, Akitoh-san, what is your interest?"  
"Martial arts, mainly Kendo and Taekwondo."  
"Do you have any level?"  
"I just started Kendo, but I am a black belt in Taekwondo."  
"Favorite music and artist?"

"R&B shall hit my taste, but I don't mind enjoy Pop as well. Favorite artist huh… Hirai Ken, Nakahara Mai, Chiba Saeko, and umm… Minami Kuribayashi also not bad. "  
Both Mai and Natsuki react by looking at Keiji when they heard the names.

"Any girlfriend?"  
"Excuse me?" Keiji is surprised to hear it.  
"Come on, or you are married?" the whole class laughs.  
"No, Neither a wife nor girlfriend for me right now."  
"That's mean you are available? Lucky!" A female eases him. Keiji can feel a giant sweat is breeding behind his head.  
"Students, skip those nonsense, will you?" The teacher finally decides to stop the orientation and points the seat besides Tokiha Mai. "Keiji-kun, there will be your seat for the time being."  
"Thank you, teacher."

"Akitoh-san, right? I am Tokiha Mai, please to meet you." Right after the class finished, Mai introduces herself to Keiji.  
"Please call me Keiji, Tokiha-san. We are classmates after all. And be free to correct me if I occur any mistake." Keiji bows lightly.  
"No, no, it is I who should be corrected. And you can call me Mai, it sounds more friendly." Mai returns a bow as well. "And… about this morning, I am really sorry."  
"It's okay, Mai-san. It is you I concerned, had you injured yourself anywhere?"  
"Thanks to your nimble catch, I am okay. Well, I guess you are not bluffing about your ability after all."  
"It's just my luck." After Keiji packed his things in the bag, he starts to leave. "Would you excuse me, I am going to visit the Student's Council, the director wants me to report myself to them after the class."  
"Let me guide you then, I know the place." Mai offers help like she always did to the others.  
"Thank you, Mai-san. I am counting on you then." Keiji takes his bags and tends to shake hand with her.  
"Leave it to me, Keiji-kun." Mai replies with her usual smiley face and shakes his hand.

"Damn, he had contacted with her. This will be far more difficult than I thought." A dark figure observes Keiji and Mai from a tree and curses for the unfortunate situation. "I think I need a plan."  
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" a female shouts at it from below, followed with a click of the trigger.  
The dark figure leaps and slowly lands on the ground like a feather, her sight is locking on the gunner. She smiles wickedly and says, "Well, well, isn't it the famous Kuga Natsuki? Please to meet you."

Natsuki observes her target carefully; the figure is dressed in total ebony tight leather suit like a biker. She is slim but B-cup breast size had acknowledged her sex, her purple iris with black pupil is in contact with hers, although they are slightly covered by her crimson bang. Natsuki raises her pistol and aims at her. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"  
The figure says nothing but smirks, slowly dark aura is generating around her body. Within a blink it went disappeared before Natsuki can open fire. Leaving her laughs echoes around her surroundings.

_You will find out soon enough… My dear HiME… hahaha…_

After Mai had directed Keiji to the Student's Council's room, she leaves for her other part-time at restaurant. He knocked the door and a male student who wears dark blue school uniform answers him.  
"So you are the new transfer, please to meet you. I am Kanzaki Reito, a third grade and the co-president of the Student's Council." After he invites Keiji into the room, Reito introduces himself and points at the girl with hazel hair, "And she is our president".  
"I am Fujino Shizuru, a third grade too, please to meet you." Shizuru sips her green tea before she continues. "Keiji-kun, I had heard about you from Director Kazahana. I hope you will have an unforgettable memory during your study." Shizuru pours another cup of green tea and passes to Keiji.

"Thank you very much." Keiji holds the cup with both of his hands – left palm support the bottom and the right one holds it by side. He spins the cup and drinks the served tea slowly until it is finished. After he spins it again and puts it back on the table, he compliments that it is a nice tea.  
"Looks like your parents had taught you well about Chado, hard to be seen in these days, right, Reito-san." Shizuru looks at Reito with her closed fan taps on her shoulder.  
"Please. Not in front of the junior, Shizuru-san." Reito feels teased and forces himself a unwilling smile.

"But for normal time like this, Keiji-kun. That won't be a necessary." Shizuru chuckles at Keiji.  
"Is it? Then I think I'd just overdone it. Hahaha…" Keiji knows his funny act and smiles. "Anyway, I wonder why does Director Kazahana want me to report myself for?"

"Actually, she asked you to meet us so we can be acknowledged about details for new students like you, and we can inform related personal immediately, like your teacher when it is needed. Plus to avoid any other people take your place without your notice and causes trouble by putting the blame on you and so on."  
"I see. Well I guess we should start it now because it is getting evening, right?"  
"Indeed, time is money." Reito takes out the Student's Note and starts to drops down Keiji's details.

After meeting with Shizuru and Reito, Keiji decides to walk around the town.  
"Although I had heard lots of this place from mom, but I think self-exploring always works better than listening to stories." Pulling his bags close to himself, he starts walking around the town. Slowly, all the shops' lights start to twinkle around and live up the night. As Keiji keeps walking, the street is getting crowded and becomes more energetic than morning.  
"Not bad from I had in my mind, although it's a bit out-dated." As Keiji is observing one of the boutique's display cabinets, a sound from the dark corridor not far from him catches his attention. His curiosity makes him decides to take a look.

"Yo, babe. How about spending some time with us, your boyfriend seems not able to accompany you for now." Three youngsters are trying to force a girl to join them, Keiji also finds out another teenager in his dirty hooded jacket just passed up after been beaten badly.  
"No… help! Someone please…" a palm immediately covers the girl's mouth before she finishes and pushes her against the wall, the youngster smirks and says, "Don't worry, babe. I will let you yell or moan as you like later, hehehe…" The youngster unzips his pants and uses his right knee to spread the girl's legs open. To make she surrenders herself, he even starts to kiss her neck and rubs her bosom with his left hand, while the right one holding both of her arms high.  
"No… please… stop it…" Although the girl's face blushes for the ecstasy, but her tears are telling them the other meaning. Too bad, it is worthless for the molester, as he is getting more aggressive with his left hand starts to slide down for her panty.

But not for the one is angered by witnessing the whole incident.

"STOP IT!" Keiji finally grabs his club bag on his left and enters for rescue. With his silhouette against the colorful streetlights, the gang notices him easily. "And what are you trying to do, hero? Hahaha…." The leader laughs as they underestimate Keiji with the amount of people he has and continues, "Get him, boys!"

Before the youngster steps forward, Keiji had taken his first move forward. As another of fact, as Shizuru mentioned earlier, Keiji had been educated well in many manners, but she just haven't seen or known what exactly Keiji had been taught.  
"My mom always says that, a man was born with two things that should be used correctly …" Keiji dashes forward and punches at the nearest teenager's face with his right knuckle, followed with a left leg knees him to the wall. "The Strength to protect the weak…" The martial artist continues his way by leaping forward and stretching the bended knee into side kicking straight to another approaching teenager's stomach, causing him kneels on the ground. Keiji finishes him with a blow at his head by using the club bag. "… and the Courage to fight for it."

The last teenager starts to getting pissed off, but he is way too smart to fight right away, he grabs the fainted girl, that her shirt just had been torn and revealed her naked front. He pulls out a multipurpose knife, unfolds it and then lays it by her neck.  
"Hey hero, I don't care what the fuck are you talking about, but you won't let a girl die in front of you, right?" He manages to escape by using the victim to threaten Keiji.

"Stop it, or I'll make you regret for that."  
"Is that so?" With pressing the knife harder, its sharpness cuts her skin lightly and makes the blood streams from her neck slightly and slowly. Just when the teenager is trying to tease Keiji again, he suddenly sees nothing but totally black, then he feels dizzy and pain at his nose. He tries to move but his strength is like not his own anymore, he is losing it unwillingly and he even drops his knife. The last thing he ever sees before totally pass out is Keiji's pose of stabbing his club bag with his left hand over the girl's shoulder and his angry eyes which is staring at him.

"I warned you…" Keiji whispers and catches the girl in his arm, with his irises glows in green and glares at the falling teen.

After sending both the girl and her partner to the hospital, Keiji finally reaches the place appointed to him. It's a hostel for the students of Fuuka Academy, each room is meant for two students to live. However, he managed to request from Director Kazahana, that he would occupy a single room, so he can run his mission easily.

After he put all the things on the light green colored matted floor, Keiji exhales after what he had gone through for the first day. Thanks to the daily-cleaning services for every empty room, he finds neither dust nor spider web from the light brown room. He checks for the provided furniture; a bed on the right with a desk by its side; followed with a cupboard; a bookshelf; a kitchen with all cooking stuff and refrigerator; a small space in the middle of the room main for study or dining purposes, and finally a bathroom located between the balcony and the kitchen.  
"This place sure is enough for me." Looking at his watch, he continues, "It's still early, may be I shall start arranging my room."

When Keiji makes the last step of sweeping the dirt and throws them, he takes another look at the bed-sitter: a new set of blue bed clothes; a lamp is posted on the desk besides it; he managed to hang his spare school uniform and some clothes he brought in the cupboard. He skips the painting job because he only stays for a week.  
"Well, it sure a long day for me." Keiji breathes and enjoys the silence of the night at the balcony. Then he lies on the railings and looks at the lower unit with lights on, he can hear familiar laughing voices.  
"Mai, I hope you won't mind this, but I have to stay here to protect you easily." Then Keiji turns around and enters his room.

"_Yes, as I am ordered… no, **destined** to."_

**End of Monday**

_Author's word:  
__Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did.  
__I had managed this story for a long time after I watched Mai-HiME animation and Mai-Otome as well. It takes me time to have a storyline, rough write-out, check and proofread, before I finally decided to submit this in this site.  
__Does the headline sound familiar? I got that inspired from 'The Phenomenon'. Hope it doesn't sound weird._

_See you tomorrow._


	2. Tuesday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline.  
__Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

_If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine._

**Tuesday **

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!……"  
The rectangle digital clock on the small wooden cabinet keeps beeping like Sunday's church bell to its prayers. The screen on the clock shows clearly '04:30 AM' in green.

A lazy hand slowly slips out from the blanket and looks for its target. It keeps tapping from the pillow to edge of the bed, then to the cabinet, finally lies on the button above the clock and kills the alarm. The clock then been brought into the blanket. A pair of sleepy eyes is trying its best to open and observe the time.  
"Huah... what time is it?" Keiji yawns before he lifts up the blanket and looks at the clock clearer, then he gains half of his spirit awaken and slowly lifts the rest of the blanket. He gazes out through his balcony's glass door with a smile.  
"Well, it's time."

After Keiji gets himself prepared, he looks at the large body mirror to double check himself. He is wearing a white T-shirt, followed with marine blue waistcoat; a pair of black fighter's pants and white jogging shoes makes him feel more comfortable than normal tracksuit. He kicks slowly to stretch his leg muscles and tests the pants' flexibility before he makes the final adjustments.  
Keiji slides the balcony's glass door open. The chilling breeze of the crack of the dawn flows tenderly and refreshes him. Keiji takes a deep breath, then looks down at hostel entrance. He sees a female, dressed in her orange T-shirt and white short pants, just gunned away from the hostel with her bicycle.

Keiji turns his head and looks at the door behind him at first, but he refuses to use it. Instead, Keiji grabs balcony's railing and smirks, "This way's faster." then he leaps over it, spreads out his arms and falls his way down from the five-story tall building like a landing eagle. By the time he reaches the second floor, he grabs the balcony's railing by one hand and causes himself lands by the wall. As his long ponytail falls and reaching his eye level, Keiji gathers energy at his leg for another leap to the air and lands on the ground after a spin. Keiji spreads his legs, bends down his body and uses a hand to support his jump when he reaches the ground, so he can balance himself and reduces the falling force. He slowly stands up from the floating sand dust, then continue his way by running and jumping over several rooftops.  
Unfortunately, someone witnessed his whole action and decides to follow him with her bike.

"Fuh, having another hard day, am I?" After she delivered the last copy of the newspaper, Mai starts counting her payment happily.  
"Counting money in the middle of the road? Aren't you afraid of snatchers or something, Mai-san?" A sudden call surprises the part-timer. Mai immediately keeps back the money in her porch-bag and looks behind her.

"Kei… Keiji-kun? What are you doing here?" Mai relieves a sigh after she recognized him.  
"As you can see, I am jogging. I always do this to keep my stamina." Keiji answers while keeping his jogging action. His sweating figure caused by the search is also covered with the reason as well.

"I see. By the way, where do you live now? I haven't seen you around this place." Mai asks before she starts drinking her water.  
"May be you just missed me, I live somewhere nearby." Keiji finally stops his jogging.  
"You may be right." Mai ends her drinking and prepares to close the bottle. But after she notices Keiji's sweating face and panting, she decides to pass him the remained water. "You want some?"

"Is it okay?" Mai smiles and nods as a reply for Keiji's question. Keiji receives the bottle and holds it above his head level. He slants it slowly until the water flows out from the bottle. Keiji aims it to his mouth and starts drinking it. After Keiji drank a few gulps, he passes the bottle back to Mai.  
"Thank you, Mai-san. It helps a lot."

"Don't mention it, we are classmates, remember?" Mai smiles and puts the bottle back into the rack. "Say, which way are you going next?"  
Keiji points at the hostel's direction. "I manage to jog over there."  
"I live over there. Since my part-time's done, mind if I join the morning jog along?" Mai gets herself prepared to leave along with Keiji.  
"Sure, just don't cycle too fast." Keiji replies and starts jogging again.  
"Hey, wait for me!" Mai laughs and follows.

Kuga Natsuki observes Keiji and Mai from far. She has been tracking Keiji from the hostel, and she managed to meet up with them.  
"_Whatever he is, he may have something done with the Orphan."_ The bike's engine roars as she accelerates it and guns back to the hostel.  
"_Better keep an eye on him." _

"Good morning, Keiji-kun!" As soon as Keiji steps into the entrance, Mai greets him from behind.  
"Mai-san, good morning!" Keiji greets back with a smile.  
"Getting used to the new school?" Mai asks.  
"For the second day? I am." Keiji replies.  
"I'm glad you did." Mai suddenly notices her roommate's action. She is looking at Keiji curiously.

"Opps! I almost forget! Let me introduce, this is Mikoto, my roommate. Mikoto, he is Keiji that I told you last night." Mai taps her forehead for her forgetting behavior and quickly introduces Mikoto to Keiji.  
"I am Minagi Mikoto. Just call me Mikoto. Please to meet you, Keiji-san" With her covered sword hanging on her back, Mikoto introduces herself, but she still stares at Keiji with her eyebrows together, just like observing him by every inch.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mikoto." After Keiji notices her sight, he asks by touching his cheek one after another, "Is there... something on my face?"

"Wait a minute, Mikoto, it's rude to look at people like that!" Mai quickly grabs Mikoto's shoulder. "I am sorry, Keiji-kun, you mind to leave us a moment?"  
"Sure thing, see you in the class then." Keiji leaves Mai and Mikoto, while his sight is still looking onto Mikoto.  
" '_She' is right. Mikoto is really sensitive as a natural fighter."_ Keiji whispers to himself.

"Mikoto, what were you trying to do just now? That's rude to stare at people at first meet!" After Keiji leaves, Mai scolds Mikoto and asks for her reason of her act just now.  
"Mai, is he strong?" Mikoto ignores Mai's question, she actually did not listen to her. All of her attention just concerns fully onto the stranger.  
"Huh?" Mai is confused.  
"Please tell me, Mai. Is Keiji a strong guy?" Mikoto is waiting for Mai's answer.

"Hmm… he said that he is a black belt in Taekwondo. I guess he is strong in some senses." Mai gazes at the mid air with her index finger by her cheek and remembers Keiji's self-introduction.  
"Really? But I sense that he isn't just as strong as he said, may be more." Mikoto speaks out her thoughts.  
"What makes you think such a way?"  
"Because he has the same scent… like my brother." Mikoto holds her necklace.  
"You are too sensitive, Mikoto." Mai rubs Mikoto's head and says, "Keiji may looks strange, but he is not a bad guy as you think."  
"If Mai says so, then it is true." Mikoto replies with a trusting smile.

"I see, no wonder Mikoto was looking at me like alien." Keiji takes a bite of his sandwich while chitchatting with Mai during the recess.  
"That's what she told me." Mai takes a slice of sardine sandwich and munches it. "This is delicious! You really make this by yourself?"  
"My… my mom taught me before I came here for my studies. She says there is a need for a single guy like me to know how to make food when living outside." Keiji closes his eyes and smiles at Mai.  
"I see, can you teach me the recipe? Then I can make it to Mikoto as well." Mai begs Keiji, as she loves cooking and always looks for recipe for either new or delicious meal.  
"I will pass it to you after I wrote it down on a paper." Keiji ate the last slice and prepare to clean the table.

Suddenly, Keiji feels that someone is looking at him from behind. Keiji turns around and notices Natsuki is staring at him icily.  
"Yes, anything I can help?" He asks as calm as he is, although he knows it is hard.  
"Akitoh Keiji, right? Meet me at the garden after school, we need to talk." Natsuki leaves after she told her message. Her act leaves to both Mai and Keiji nothing but confusion.

"Who is she?" Keiji asks.  
"You don't know her?" Mai surprises, as she thought they know each other because it was Natsuki who invited. Keiji swings his head as a reply.  
"Her name is Kuga Natsuki. She is one of our classmates." Mai explains.  
"_Natsuki, huh?"_ Keiji suddenly holds his chin and thinks deeply.  
"She skips class sometimes, no wonder you don't recognize her." Mai suddenly notices Keiji's gazing on the table. "Keiji, Keiji! Hello…" Mai swings her hand in front of Keiji and it catches his attention back. "Is there something wrong?"  
"Huh? No, not really." Keiji smiles at Mai.

Mai remembered Natsuki's expression and asks Keiji. "Say, had you done something angers her? She was looking at you like her enemy just now."  
Keiji shakes his shoulder once. "Beats me."

On the other hand, a group of girls is chatting not far from Keiji.  
"Chie-san, does anything happened to Akane? She is absent today." Aoi asks.  
"Don't you know that, she was almost raped last night. Now she is staying at the hospital." Chie explains.  
"She… what?" The news just shocked everyone who is listening.  
"I don't know the actual detail. What I got from the hospital and her colleague is it happened when she was going out with her friend, then some gang showed up from nowhere and took them away. Her friend was beaten badly, while she was harassed from the wounds she got, luckily she is still a virgin after the doctor checked her up." Chie tells, and then bites some junk food before she continues. "The rest is unknown until I phoned the hospital this morning and they told me that she already woke up."

"How about the gangsters then?" Aoi continues asking.  
"You wouldn't believe this. They are all beaten up worse than the victim. The one who assumed is the leader kept mumbling the same lines many times, just like he had gone crazy." Chie adjusts her glasses and suddenly looks at Aoi seriously.  
"What… what is he actually mumbling about?" Aoi takes a small gulp of her saliva and asks.  
"He's a ghost… a ghost with green eyes… GET AWAY FROM ME!" Chie asks like a ghost and scares Aoi.

"Akitoh." By the time Keiji turns to his back, Natsuki is standing right at his back and glares at him icily.  
"Kuga-san, right? Why are you calling me here for?" Natsuki replies by aiming her pistol at him.  
"Kuga-san, please be careful with that, will you?" Keiji rises up both of his hands by instinct.  
"Who are you?" Natsuki sounds like demanding.  
"What are you talking about? I am Keiji. You know my name, right?"  
"I mean, the real you." Natsuki's glare becomes even more threatening. "Or you won't got another chance to do it."  
"Kuga-san, you won't just kill me without a real reason, right? And what do you mean the real me? I am what you can see here." Keiji stands back a bit while he is answering.

_Bang!_  
Keiji is shocked by the shot and shouts, "Jesus! What the heck do you think you're doing?" But his anger is returned with another aim. "Now, tell me who you are." Natsuki keeps demanding. 

"Natsuki, what are you trying to do here?" Just when the situation is getting tense, someone appears behind Natsuki and stops her.  
"Shizuru, huh? Nothing much, just trying to make a friend by knowing his true identity." Natsuki answers. She slowly lowers her gun and Keiji finally able to relieve a sigh.

_With a gun pointing on my head? How friendly you are, Kuga-san…_

"Whatever it is, you shouldn't point your gun at people, it is not the real reason for a HiME to use her element." Shizuru rings Natsuki's waist and whispers lightly, so Keiji cannot hear them. Her sudden act immediately makes Natsuki's face blushes in shy.  
"I knew it, but he is far too suspicious than a normal person. I saw him jumped from the top of the hostel this morning!" Natsuki releases herself from Shizuru quickly and points at Keiji while she is explaining.  
"Hmm… is it true, Keiji-kun? Are you that powerful like Natsuki said here?" Shizuru asks.

"Come on, ladies. I may be a black belt, but not a superman!" Keiji quickly denies.  
"I don't trust you!" Natsuki looks at Keiji and starts pointing her gun onto him again.  
"Believe it or not. I am out of here." Keiji starts running away while Natsuki is trying to stop him. "Wait!" Natsuki shouts while aiming at him. But Shizuru stopped her with another tender hug that softens her every muscle.  
"No, you are the one who should wait, I have something to tell you."

"Fuh… that was a close one." Keiji holds his panting chest. "She saw me this morning? Why can't I sense her around?" Keiji keeps thinking for his mistakes this morning until he notices the evening sun and takes another look at his watch.  
"Mai said that she wants to visit Akane by evening. May be I shall pay a visit too…" Keiji takes his studying stuff, then starts walking towards the hospital's direction.  
"Or should I say… revisit?" Keiji smiles as he whispers.

"Akane-san, are you alright?" Mai asks while she is slicing an apple for her friend, along with her visit are Chie, Aoi, and Mikoto, who is eating other fruits from the basket.  
"I am better now, thank you." Akane sits on the bed and bows lightly for Mai's concern.  
"Akane, where is _your_ Kazu-kun?" Chie grins at Akane wickedly, with her index finger adjusts her glasses' bridge lightly.

"He… he was discharged this afternoon and now resting at home, he will come later." Akane replies with a pink blush by her cheek.  
"That's a good news to be heard, right? Everyone." Chie continues, "Anyway, Akane-chan, have you have a chance to remember your savior?"  
"I am sorry to disappoint you, Chie-san. But I was too scared and passed up at that time. When I opened my eyes again, I was already here."  
"I see. Never mind, I bet he will visit you if he cares for the one he saved." Chie makes a wild guess.  
"He?" Akane wonders as she never know who her savior is.  
"Remember the gangster who did this to you? Now he is almost crazy and keeps mumbling about some guy with green eyes." Chie explains.

Suddenly someone knocks the door in the middle of their conversation, Akane answers by saying 'yes' before he opens the ward door.  
"Sorry for coming late… ehh, Chie-san and Aoi-san are also here?" Keiji enters the ward and greets everyone. He walks closer to the group and hands over a fruit basket. "Some little present from me, hope you like it."  
"Thank you, Akitoh-san." Akane received the basket and passes to Mai to replace the one Mikoto just emptied.  
"Please, just call me Keiji like others did, Higurashi-san."  
"So as you, just call me Akane." Akane returns Keiji's friendliness with a happy smile.

"How sweet you are, Keiji-kun..." Chie grins at Keiji and uses her elbow to jab at him.  
"That is nothing…" Keiji notices Chie and Aoi's wicked way of looking at him before he replies, "Really!"

"Ahh… how can I forget this one? Akane-chan. I just asked the doctor and he said your condition is good enough to leave next morning. Congratulations!" Mai suddenly remembers this news and tells everyone.  
"Really? Is that true, Mai?" Aoi wants to makes sure about Akane's discharge.  
"Hundred percent sure." Mai winks and shows a thumb-up.  
"That is great! Akane. Then we can come and get you then, what should we say, everyone?" Chie suggests and the others nod their heads in at the same time.  
"Thank you. But don't you all need to attend class tomorrow?" Akane reminds them.  
"Don't worry, Miss Saiga will understand us if we explain to her." Chie tells that they will beg for some time.

Chie, Aoi, Mikoto and Mai leave after a while. They left Keiji as he stays for a reason to go around places near the hospital by night after the visit. After he inserted the eaten fruits into plastic bags and cleaned the table, he sits by Akane's bed and starts to peel an apple with a knife.  
"Keiji-kun, do you mind if I ask you something?" Akane observes him for a while, then she finally asks.  
"Yes, Akane-san. What is it?" Keiji answers while he is peeling the apple carefully.  
"You said that you are good at Taekwondo, right?"  
"I did, but still far to become a master. Why do you ask?"

"Remember those guys sent to the police? Actually a police officer came to me this morning and questioned me for details. He told me that they were all beaten up by someone knows martial arts, from all their wounds and injuries." Akane explains the reason she wants to know her savior, and she wonders if Keiji knows him by any chance.  
"I see. That hero sure had followed the right master." Keiji starts slicing the apple and puts them on the table.  
"Huh? What makes you think like that, Keiji-kun?" Akane is confused by Keiji's word.

After Keiji prepares the apple slices, he finally puts down the knife and turns facing Akane with his legs crossed. "Any martial artist can be good or evil with the skills they learned. And their master is the most influenced person to guide their path instead of their own will." Keiji holds his palms together on his knee while he keeps explaining. "I wish I can meet this person, may be we can chat a lot."

"So you don't know such a person around here too?" Akane sounds disappointed.  
"Come on, Akane-san. I just arrived here yesterday and don't have many friends at this town."  
"Now you remind me about that." Akane chuckles.  
"Forget the topic. Here, have some apples."

Keiji leaves around at late evening, but firstly, he goes to the nurse station. He meets with the nurse who takes care of Akane, he thanks her for not telling Akane and the others about his rescue.  
The nurse actually wonders and asks for his reason, but Keiji refuses to answer and leaves the hospital.  
Keiji turns back when he is in front of the hospital entrance. "Thank god she didn't recognize me." He whispers as he is looking at Akane's room.

"Mai, I am hungry" When Mai is hanging clothes at the balcony, Mikoto is begging for food.  
"Again?! You just ate lots of fruits not long ago."  
"I know. But I am hungry" Mikoto keeps begging.  
"You really don't know when is your time to eat, right?" Mikoto grins as Mai is complaining, but she is not angry at all.  
"Okay, I think a instant ramen won't take a long time." Mikoto jumps when she hears it, but then she grabs her stomach by he next second as it groans and makes Mai chuckles.  
Just when Mai turns in the room and closes the balcony's door, she misses Keiji, who just reaches the entrance of the same hostel.

"Hold it right there." A familiar voice stops Keiji from behind.  
"Kuga-san, can we discuss this matter more politely?" His question only replied with dead silence from the gunner.  
"Man, what do you actually want from me?" Keiji turns facing Natsuki and finally gets frustrated of Natsuki's annoying act.  
"Like I said before, THE TRUTH." Natsuki tightens her hold on her gun.  
"Just what kind of truth do you want from me?"  
"Whatever, as long as you tell."  
"This is crazy!" But then Keiji suddenly looks behind Natsuki and becomes totally quiet. His act surprises Natsuki and makes her prepares for any assault.

"Kuga-san, I think you better leave here now. Your ELEMENT had summoned something bad here." Keiji let goes his school bag and wields his club bag hard.  
"What are you talking about? The only bad thing here is…" Right before she finishes, Keiji leaps at Natsuki and pounds her down on the floor. On impulse, Natsuki opens fire and the bullet passes Keiji's shoulder.  
"Let me go!" Natsuki is angered when Keiji suddenly act like a sex maniac, but she is speechless when she noticed another cut wound at Keiji's right cheek.  
"Quiet! Or you want to die the way you never wish to." Keiji warns Natsuki with his sudden change of attitude. Now he is more serious from his way of talking and watching. "You better stay here, and don't ever call your CHILD." Then Keiji runs to the main gate of the hostel. He looks around, then continue running and leaving the hostel.

"How does he know it? They are supposed to be secrets." Natsuki thinks as she is watching Keiji goes. "Whatever it is, he is sure suspicious." Natsuki dematerializes her gun, summons her CHILD - Duran and follows.

"I never imagine the ELEMENT can make you show yourself." Keiji talks to the a dark figure under the full moon,.  
"The HiME always gets my attention. Keiji-kun." The figure is actually the female Natsuki met yesterday.  
"Keep your mind away from them, Kurohime. You know it won't change anything." Keiji warns.  
"Not if I kill you here." The woman Keiji called Kurohime raises her opened palm and faces Keiji, slowly dark purple aura starts to gather in front of it and finally morphs out a silver Magnum with 10 inch barrel attached. Kurohime grabs it and aims at Keiji.

Keiji finally unstrings his club bag. It flippers open and reveals the object within it - The purple hilt of a 3 feet katana with a red oval crystal sealed at its end. The crystal slowly glows to life, just like acknowledges its master that it is ready for action.  
"You really wish to end this here?" With the light of full moon shoots at the fighters like a spotlight, Keiji's thumb pushes his katana's guard and the steel blade shines brightly. His eyes are locking onto Kurohime with full attention and cautious like a samurai.

"Then so be it." Their fight ignites, as Keiji dashes forward and Kurohime pulls the trigger.

**End of Tuesday**

_Author's word:_

_Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did.  
__It is really a hard time to hide your secrets from anyone, especially to someone who lives near to you, same class with you, or even talks a lot with you. But still, if that secret is going to affect anyone, we better keeps it in our heart, until it is the suitable time to reveal it._

_See you tomorrow._


	3. Wednesday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline and the OCs.  
__Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

_If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine._

**Wednesday **

There is a hill with forest located not far from Fuuka Academy. There is a rumor says that there was a war occurred between human and demon on that ground many years ago and many souls still wandering around the forest. Now the rumor leaves nothing but a reason to warn the others to not go into the 'haunted' hill.  
But, by another means, it can be a great battleground without involving the outsider.

It is 1 o'clock past the midnight.

Sparks are scattered among the trees, as Keiji is repelling another bullet with his katana.  
He keeps moving like a sprinting panther and looks around him cautiously. From the moment Kurohime released the first shot with her magnum, he dodged it on instinct and started running to lure Kurohime until they ran into this rumored forest.  
Keiji stops when he reached a cliff. The sand he kicked shatters and falls.

_"Not good."  
_When Keiji is turning around, another bullet flashes by his face and pierces through the end of his waving ponytail. Keiji starts sweating, as he is observing the quiet forest, even the wound on his cheek starts bleeding and hurts.  
"_She has become far stronger than the last time we fought. What did she do?"  
_Keiji grabs the hilt of his katana with his both hands and ready in defensive pose.

"_What is it, my little puppy? Start to getting worry?"  
_The attracting but yet piercing voice echoes around the forest. Its lifeless tone hits Keiji's nerve and brings the chill down to his spine.  
"_If I just can get close to her…"  
_Just when Keiji is planning, another shot is released and he immediately repels it with his katana. But unfortunately, it was followed with another shot aimed at his right tight.  
_"Argh…"_ Keiji looks at his bleeding wound and tries his best to hold the pain, but the shot had made him kneels on the ground.

"Excuse me, did I just shoot you?"  
Slowly, Kurohime, with her gun reloaded, walks out from the forest. Her devilish smile even scares Keiji once she is standing right in front of him now.  
"Oh, looks like I just did it. I am so sorry."  
Kurohime's sight is locking onto Keiji's suffering face and takes her time to enjoy it. As for Keiji, her apology sounds more like exasperation to him. His eyebrows are tightened when Kurohime starts raising her gun and taking her aim again.  
"Here, Keiji, have another one." Another shot is fired on Keiji's left upper arm.

"ARGH!" Keiji roars out loud. But even Keiji bites his lower lips to stand against the pain, his sight is still glaring and never leaves Kurohime.  
"Hahaha… pain is good, isn't it, Keiji? Hahaha…"  
Kurohime starts to laugh in joy of self-satisfaction. Deep within her laughing, Keiji senses nothing but only chill and horror, not to mention the dark mist he sees around her makes she looks evil.

But, her over-confidence had granted Keiji a chance! Without any doubt, Keiji wields his katana with another hand and uses all of his remaining strength to thrust it towards his opponent. All of this is happening too fast and out of Kurohime's expecting. The lethal strike pierces through Kurohime's abdomen. At the same time, the jewel on the hilt's end starts to glow in bright red light and channels the katana with twirling red aura, then finally set the whole blade into fire and burns its prey. As the flame start burning, Kurohime kicks Keiji away impulsively, before his katana causes more damage. Keiji, with his limp body and the katana he is still holding, falls off the cliff like a broken doll, while Kurohime generates her energy around her wound and tries to neutralize the flame.

Far below the forest, Keiji is lying on the ground. His arm and leg are bleeding badly and the broken bones around his body tortures his senses when he tries to move. Right before he is out of consciousness, someone is running to him, with a wolf by her side.

Moments later, Kurohime successfully draws the flame out from her body and throw it away. She walks slowly by the cliff and looks at below. Although she does not sense Keiji's presence anymore, but she knows he still lives, it takes more than two shots and a fall like this to end his life.  
"Curse you, Keiji. You are going to pay for this." then Kurohime disappears in darkness.

"_Hmm… looks like the show is getting more interesting, isn't it?"  
_Resting on the branch like he always does, Nagi Homura closes his book and thinks. He just witnessed the battle between Keiji and Kurohime secretly.  
"_That Keiji sure proves his ability as a fighter, but that woman…"_ Nagi rests his head by leaning by the trunk and looks upon the sky, straight to the red star located beside the moon.  
_"I don't remember she is one of the HiME, but she seems able to possess the power like, no, more than a HiME."  
_Then Nagi grins to push away his worries and leaps on the ground. _"But, as long as the show is getting more exciting, who cares?"_

"_Keiji, take this with you." A woman, in her white doctor robe, passes a device to Keiji.  
_"_What is this? A cog wheel?" Keiji looks and checks it out._

_It is an 8 ways cogwheel-shaped device in crimson color with 4 centimeters in thickness and 12 centimeters in diameter. There is an azure orb planted in the middle, with tiny dark green trails are linked to it and the every edge of the wheel like computer hardware's circuit._

"_A device purposely made for you, Keiji. It mainly power ups your self-ability when activated, but only for a certain period of time. After that it needs to be recharged with solar energy." The woman explains.  
_"_Really? That will help a lot." Keiji happily puts the device in his bag. "But it is a waste for only able to use it for a short while."  
_"_That is because its real function only can be activated under some condition." The woman smirks, as she had expected Keiji's question.  
_"_Real function? I thought you just said that it boosts up my ability?" Keiji seems confused._

"_And do you forget who you 'really' are, Keiji?"  
The woman crossed her arms and asks. Keiji finally gets her meaning and seems understands what does the device really for.  
_"_I see." Keiji's smiling face is thanking her for preparing the device, which is really meaningful for him.  
_"_So, what is the condition then?" The woman starts mumbling words to Keiji._

"Ur… urgh…" Trying to open his tiring eyes, Keiji starts to gain back his consciousness. He notices himself is looking at the ceiling instead of the starry night.  
_"I'm… home?"  
_Using his right elbow to support himself, Keiji crunches up himself and looks around. It is not the room he expected earlier, this is far more feminine for him. The bright and clear environment also tells him that it is daytime now. Keiji looks at his wounds and finds out that they were given treatment and bandaged.  
_"Who did this?"_

"You finally awake." Someone speaks without his notice.  
"Kuga-san? But how?"  
Kuga Natsuki is sitting near her reading table and drinking coffee now, she is wearing a shirt and short jeans, with her hair band in a ponytail.  
"I followed you all the way until I saw you fall from the cliff." Natsuki puts her coffee away and explains.  
"I see, thank you very much." Keiji bows lightly.

"Don't get it wrong. I just wanna know what is actually happening. Those wounds were deadly and almost killed you."  
"I was… chased by some monsters." Keiji tries to hide the truth because it is too soon to tell her about it.  
"Don't lie to me, Akitoh Keiji." Natsuki stare at him seriously.  
"First of all, why are you using a true katana with true steel blade? And you can run with the speed that almost surpassed my DURAN? And most of all, able to know I am a HiME that supposed to be a secret to anyone? You have to do better than that."  
Natsuki then holds her chin, "And didn't I mention that the injuries were fatal? That WAS when I found you on the way back then, your bleeding stops and your broken bones are healed slowly while DURAN is taking you back here, all by yourself, without any treatment. Those bandage are only meant to cover them."

As soon as Keiji realized, his katana is lying on his side right now. From Natsuki's conversation, he knows that his secret is revealing slowly.  
"Okay, I will tell what you suppose to know, Kuga-san, and nothing more than that, even you put a bullet through my head."  
Keiji answers her seriously; even Natsuki is shocked by his sudden changes of behavior.

"Chie-san, have you seen Keiji around?" Mai asks when she knows Keiji absented from school.  
"Huh? No, what is it?" Chie says when she is munching some biscuits.  
"I just wonder why does he absent today?" Mai is disappointed to hear the answer.  
"Just a minute, Mai." After Chie drinks some water to clear her throat, she looks at Mai really curiously, "I always want to ask you about this. Why are you so concern about Keiji? I thought Tate-san is your boyfriend."

"Ha… Haiiii!" Mai surprised to the question and shouts out along with her blushing cheek. "Tate? What… what are you talking about, Chie-san?"  
"Well, both of you never stop quarrel each other. I just had been thinking that…" When Chie almost finishes, both Aoi and Chie get themselves closer and grin at Mai.  
"Enough Chie-san. First of all, Tate Yuichi is not my boyfriend, and I concern for Keiji because he is new and will be our classmate for a week." Mai explains immediately, but her face is still blushing lightly.  
"Yes, yes, you're always right. But you cannot deny that you care for Keiji-kun, right?" Chie grins again.  
"I… I…" Mai's cheek starts to blush more reddish. Finally, Chie poses a V-sign to Mai.

Meanwhile, Keiji sheathes back his katana before he continues his conversation with Natsuki Kuga.  
"… Now, Kuga-san…"  
"Natsuki is fine." Natsuki finally tries to be friendlier with Keiji by letting him address her by name.  
"Now, Natsuki. I had told you everything you need to know. Believe it or not, that's all I can tell."  
Actually, Keiji finally decided to tell her about Kurohime and her purpose for being here, he also tells Natsuki that he was sent here to catch her by any means and help the HiME.

"No wonder you know so much about us, I thought you are from the 'First District'." Natsuki says.  
"No, I am definitely not. In fact, the one sent me here is concerning the HiME more than anyone of them." Keiji replies.  
"I see. And you just said that the enemy we are facing here can fuse with ORPHAN and use their ability? And we are better not summoning our CHILD to fight her at all?" Natsuki pours some coffee and serves it to Keiji.

"You got it. Kurohime's ability not only enables her to fuse with any ORPHAN, but also the CHILD, so as their ability, to empower herself." Keiji holds the cup of coffee with both of his hands and continues.  
"That's the reason you warned me from fighting with her by summoning my DURAN as well?" Natsuki finally understands Keiji's warning before he went to look for Kurohime last night.  
Keiji nods his head, "If I am right enough, her next target might be Mai's CHILD."

"Mai's CHILD? She has it now?"  
As far as Natsuki concerns, Mai is still in the state of avoiding the responsibility for being the HiME.  
"Not yet. Natsuki, but she will gain it soon enough, she is a HiME after all?" Keiji answers with confidence.  
"But, Keiji, why are you so sure about Kurohime's next target? If her target is the ORPHAN and CHILD, then it will be a wild goose chase." Natsuki speaks.

"As far as I know, Natsuki, everyone of you, the HiMEs had already gained their own CHILD, except Mai." Keiji stops for a while to sip his coffee, "And you should know it when you got your DURAN by the first time, was it easy for you to control it?"  
Although Natsuki is surprised by his knowledge, but she agrees no more about the fact he just told.  
"That's the reason I am so sure about Kurohime's target. Since a new born CHILD is not easy to be controlled by HiME, she will get lots of chances to fuse with it." Keiji states the reason for his conclusion.  
"From now, we need to stay close to Mai, I bet Kurohime already took her step and is waiting for chances now. Natsuki, it might be good if you can help me."

"What? Me?" Natsuki seems confused, since she was warned to fight with Kurohime not long ago.  
"You got me right. I might need your CHILD when it comes to the worst."  
Natsuki immediately materializes her pistol and aims at his head, "YOU WANT TO SACRIFICE MY CHILD TO SAVE YOUR ASS?"

Keiji stares at Natsuki steadily and says, "Don't get me wrong, Natsuki! I never abandon my friend behind and run away like a coward! I need your CHILD to help us to escape just in case. I knew it very well, Natsuki, your CHILD is the fastest one among the others." Keiji explains, while he takes out his cog wheel device from the bag Natsuki picked up for him.  
"I never thought I am going to use this so soon, but it seems like I have no other choice." Keiji looks at the orb in the middle of the device.

"What is this thing?" Natsuki pulls back her aim and asks.  
"I will tell you when it is time. Now, we got a HiME to meet." Keiji tries to stand up and gets himself ready.  
"But, Keiji, you are not fully recovered yet!" Natsuki warns him. Keiji takes off the bandage and notices the wounds are still healing. Although the bleeding is stopped and broken bones are healed like she said earlier, it still hurts when he tries to move.  
"If we don't move fast, then we might be regret for the rest of our life." But Keiji just tries his best to ignore the pain and keeps moving with Natsuki behind him.

_And I won't forgive myself if I can't make it in time._

"Welcome."  
Like every waiter and waitress does, they will greet the customer whenever they enter the shop. Mai, in her part-time uniform for the restaurant she is working now, gladly greets and ready to serve.  
"How many person… Keiji-kun?" Mai is surprised when she finds out Keiji enters the restaurant.  
But after she saw his company, she starts to look unhappy.

"Two will do, Mai-san." Keiiji says, as Natsuki is at his back.  
"Mai-san, is there something wrong?" Keiji asks when he notices Mai is staring at them.

"Two… two persons, right? This way please."  
Even though Mai does not know the reason for her emotion, but she is working right now. Therefore she leaves it behind now before she gets time for that.

After they took their seat and order some drinks, Keiji scans the restaurant area for any suspicious appearance, while Natsuki observes the outer area through the window.  
"Everything seems normal." Natsuki whispers.  
"I hope so, but Kurohime is like a stalker, you never notice her presence until you see her." Keiji crosses his fingers and speaks, while his eyes are looking at Mai who is serving another customer now.

_"That smile… so memorable…"_ Keiji's sight suddenly turns to tender looking. 

"Keiji!" Natsuki presses her tone harder as she failed to warn Keiji.  
"What is it?" Keiji suddenly awakes and answers.  
"That woman, at the entrance!"

Looking towards where Natsuki points. Keiji notices a single woman is coming to the scene. She is wearing a black dress in Gothic Lolitha style, with light gray and white flourish pattern sewed around lower dress and collar. The middle cloth before her is silky-white and lots of roses pattern is sewed at its side. She smiles when she notices Keiji and Natsuki.

"Kurohime…" Acknowledge from her merciless and arrogant smirk upon him, Keiji tightens his eyebrows and tries his best not to start a fight, not in this place with lots of people, not with Mai.  
"Natsuki, try to get Mai out of here at once!" Keiji stands up and decides to take the first move before Kurohime.  
"But, how about you?" Natsuki asks with concern, because Keiji is not recovered yet and on top of that, he lost to her once.  
"I will try to hold her somehow. In the mean time, Natsuki, try to get Mai away from here as far as possible. I am counting on you." Keiji leaves the table and Natsuki rushes to the waitress counter quickly.

"Well, well, isn't it my lucky day? Both HiME and you appear to me willingly when I want most. You really save my time."  
Kurohime just does not care for him, even Keiji had reached her within a very close range. She holds his chin with her right hand, while her left instantly morphs out her magnum. But because of their range, Keiji manages to hold her gun's barrel quickly before she can raise them.  
"Wait a minute, Kurohime. You are not trying to fight here, aren't you?"  
Gaining his chance to stop Kurohime, Keiji questions her desperate hunger for hunting the HiME. Now is after office hour, which is also another peak hour for the restaurant to serve lots of people for taking dinner.

"With two HiMEs and you within my sight? You bet I am, Keiji."  
Kurohime looks at Keiji wickedly and starts morphing out another gun. But Keiji holds it as well.  
"Not so fast, Kurohime. You may defeated me, you should know you can't win me within this range."  
Keiji holds both of her weapons and pushes them behind her butt, and hugs Kurohime closer to him, just like a pair of lovers attends to kiss each other.  
Kurohime looks at Keiji's steady face and smiles with blushing cheek. "You sure know how to use your chances, Keiji. But how long do you think you can hold me, I can just burst out my energy and destroy everything here."

"Not too long…" Just when Keiji hears the roaring of Natsuki's bike engine and its sound starts descending, so as he saw she gunned it away from the restaurant with another person on her back.  
"Just after they escape and stay far away from you."  
Kurohime also feels it, the presence of the HiME is disappearing and she finally understands Keiji's idea.  
"Hmph! What a stupid trick. You think they can get away from me like this forever." Knowing her plan of getting the HiME failed, Kurohime feels pissed off and starts to generate her energy.  
"_Not good!"_ Keiji can sense it.  
_"Kurohime is gonna blows this place apart!"_ Without wasting another second to think anymore, Keiji grabs Kurohime hardly, sprints out of the restaurant quickly and go away as far as possible.

"You sure surprise me every time, Keiji."  
After Keiji dragged her out of the restaurant without her expected and now she comes back to her senses, she swings away his hand and complies. "And what can you do after you get me here, loser?"  
Keiji looks at Kurohime and poses his fighting stance.  
"I will do this." Keiji takes out his cogwheel device and puts it on his chest.

"IGNITION!"  
Keiji roars a command. All of the sudden, the orb of the device shines to life in azure color and the trails starts generates energy in light green color from the center and channel to the edges of the wheel. Keiji feels the energy within it as it floats him in the mid air. He reacts by spreading all his arms and legs to each side like the Virtuvian Man, as the trails beams out lines from the edges and cover him like a coat.

When all of Keiji's body is shining in green and the device is planted into the chest, the coating shatters and morphs out an armor that formed by tight-fitting guards on his legs, lower arms, chest, waist, and a helmet as well, the other parts are morphed into azure spandex suit; His hands, however, are wearing azure gloves. The armor is generally in white color; decorated with green circuit trails as energy channeling device to every part of the body; the crimson cogwheel is planted in the chest and the azure orb is shinning bright. As for his helmet that only reveals his eyes, the ear part is set along with an antenna to track invisible enemies by sound.

"I see, that 'woman' finally made up this gadget on time, huh?" Kurohime can feel Keiji new outfit and is looking forward to it. She already had her gun prepared for this battle.  
"Ready for Round 2, Kurohime?" Keiji raises and holds his fists, he poses his fighting stance and starts tripping like a fighter.  
"I am waiting." Kurohime teases him by dragging her gun to lure Keiji.  
Keiji smiles, then dashes towards Kurohime at his great speed and emerges the fight.

"Natsuki! Just what the hell are you trying to do? I am working, remember?" Mai shouts at Natsuki after they stop at the hostel.  
"Don't be mad at me, complaint it to Keiji." Natsuki says.  
"Keiji? How does he get involve in this?"  
"He is the one who asked me to escort you from there." Natsuki takes off her helmet before she continues, "He worries about you."  
"What… what are you talking about, I just don't get you." Mai is totally confused.

"Like I said, if you got a question, ask Keiji. By the way, Mai, do you have your CHILD yet?" Natsuki asks to confirm.  
"I told you! I am not gonna involve in any of the HiME business, and I don't have a CHILD!" Mai becomes angry suddenly.  
In her mind, she never meant to get involve in her destiny as a HiME, even she knows she is one, she just want to live a normal life with her brother like a normal girl, that's it.  
"Is it so? Then I will advise you one more time, don't ever obtain a CHILD, or ever use your ELEMENT." Natsuki wears her helmet back and guns her bike to somewhere else.  
"_Keiji? Just why does Natsuki say that I should ask Keiji for everything?"_ Mai keeps questioning before Mikoto welcomes her at the hostel's entrance.

"Thank you for everything, Natsuki. Good night, then." Keiji ends the phone conversation with Natsuki.  
After his fight with Kurohime and barely results in a draw match, Kurohime angrily left the area as she knew it is a meaningless battle; while Keiji is relieved because his armor had reached its time limit and tuned back to the device just right after Kurohime left him.

Now, he goes to the town again and rests on a bench after an exhausting walk with his tiring body with new wounds.

"Man, I should wait until I recovered." Keiji stretches his hands to his side and twists his head to ease his muscle.  
"Keiji? Is that you, Keiji-kun?" As Keiji is trying to rest, a girl is calling him.  
"Akane-san? Good to see you here."  
"By the way, Keiji, are you feeling well? You look terrible." Akane concerns and asks.  
"Noting much, just some accident, I will be fine after a short break. By the way, who is this gentleman?" Keiji notices a boy by Akane's side and asks.

"Oh, he is my… friend." Akane's face blushes and she introduces her boyfriend to Keiji.  
"I am Kazuya Kurauchi, please to meet you, Akitoh-san."  
"Call me Keiji. Please to meet you, Kazuya-san." When Keiji is greeting back to his new friend, he suddenly feels something strange upon Akane.  
_"Wait a minute, why can't I sense her presence as HiME?"_

"Kazuya-san, would you mind me to have a word with Akane, it is quite personal." Keiji asks seriously.  
"But, Keiji, I don't remember…"  
"Please, Akane-san. It is really important, and only you can know this!" Just when Akane is confused, Keiji keeps demanding it. "Please, I beg you."  
While Akane is considering, Kazuya somehow knows the importance and leaves them for a short while. Keiji thanks him for the understanding.

"Akane-san, can I ask you something?"  
"Y…Yes." Akane is frightened by Keiji's serious expression.  
"Did anyone else visit you before you were discharged?" Akane finally relieves for the simple question.  
"Let me see… Mai, Mikoto, Chie, Aoi, you… ah, there is another person, a girl!"

"How does she look like?" Keiji becomes nervous and keeps asking.  
"Around sixteen-year-old, from the way she look, she got red, curly hair. We chat a lot too."  
"What is her name? Do you remember it?" Akane's description shocks Keiji even more.  
"Let me think. If I am not mistaken… yes, Kurohime."

For a moment, Keiji hears the name clearly and he cannot ignore that the thing he most afraid had became true.

"Did you tell her about your HiME's ability?" Keiji asks to clear his doubt.  
"What, how could you possibly…"  
"Just answer me, Akane-san!" Akane is shocked when she looks at Keiji serious sight.

After a long silent, Akane finally nods her head; and it is a worst news Keiji would never want to know.  
"Akane-san, you may wonder how do I know about your identity, but please don't be afraid, I am not your enemy, in fact I am here to help you, the HiMEs. Please believe me."  
"Keiji-kun. Who are you anyway? How could you possibly know about me as the HiME?" Akane asks.

"We have no time for that anymore, Akane-san. And now I am gonna tell you something that you should know. I believe that girl, Kurohime, had stolen you HiME's ability and your CHILD too." Keiji holds her shivering shoulder to calm her down.  
"But, Kurohime won't able to get your ability easily, unless…" Keiji looks at Akane seriously, "…you wish to abandon the burden of being a HiME."

Akane's surprising expression had cleared his doubt. "Why, Akane-san? Why do you pass your ability to her?"  
"She said that she can leave the curse of the HiME from me. I am too tired of being a HiME and hiding secrets from Kazuya. I just can't stand it!" Akane finally cries and confesses the truth.  
But, Keiji holds her shoulder to stop her, because he is going to tell her something even scares her more, "Akane-san, neither you want it or not, the bond between you and your CHILD is not broken yet. You are still a HiME, only without the power of summoning the ELEMENT or CHILD."  
"What! But she said that…" Akane cannot believe what she just heard.

"It's a fraud, Akane-san, just to obtain your power and your CHILD. What ever happens to them is still influences you, the one who actually owns them." Keiji explains, as he starts releasing his hand.  
But Akane instantly catches his hand and asks, "What should I do now, how can I get them back?"  
"Akane-san, since you had lost the power of a HiME, you better stay away from any danger. I will try my best to make things right in the meantime, just be patient." Keiji can't help himself from getting more nervous.  
He must try everything to get things back to normal, before it is too late.

**End of Wednesday**

_Author's word:_

_Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did._

_Keiji finally have to tell Natsuki his objective for being here, but he cannot just tell everything to her yet, something has to be kept in private matter.  
__This is only the beginning for the real intention of this fiction, so please stayed tuned and I am looking forward for any R&R from you._

_See you tomorrow._


	4. Thursday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline and some original characters.  
__Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

_If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine._

**Thusday **

Far inside the depths of the forest a bear-like creature is resting by the tree. With the claw of sharp nails, it had cut down the trees around like vegetables; And with its strength, it can crush the rocks into ashes.  
It is an ORPHAN! And it is a strong one indeed.

But, this creature just can't stop shivering at all. Its sight never leaves the forest; its iris keeps spinning around to keep itself cautious, its pant never stops, so as the bleeding around its body, all of them were shot injuries.  
Shot injuries?

Yes, it's shot, with a weapon it never meets before. Unlike the pistol that police wields, or the rifle soldier fires, the wounds are terribly huge and hard to be healed within hours. It was shot by some sort of energy blast, a kind of attack that is not supposed to be seen in this era and place!  
Unless… the HiME…

Precisely, unless it had been fighting with HiME, or else it won't be hurt such terribly. Not for an ORPHAN that a normal human fear to face with.  
Unfortunately, it was its mistake at the first place for choosing to fight with… her.

"What is it? You're already over?" A sound just rings the ORPHAN back to senses. Its fang bites hardly, as it is staring at the speaker.  
"Well, seems like you're not…" The pressure is getting harder. The piercing wind flows towards the ORPHAN and causing it to strengthen its every muscle. It can feel it, that the death is approaching.  
The speaker finally comes to its sight. She is a woman that Keiji fought last night, a woman who wants to change the HiMEs' fate. The woman Keiji called Kurohime.

"WHO ARE YOU? YOU ARE TOO STRONG FOR A MERE HUMAN! AN ORPHAN TOO?" Like an animal, the ORPHAN talks by breathing and roaring, which human does not understand.  
"An ORPHAN? Don't compare me with those ugly and weak creatures like you!" Kurohime is angered and looks at the ORPHAN fiercely.  
"YOU UNDERSTAND MY WORDS?" the ORPHAN becomes frightened when Kurohime able to answer it.  
"Why can't I? Some of your comrades had been in here." Kurohime taps her abdomen with both of her hands gently, with her tongue licking her lips and continues with her chilling laugh, "To be frank, they are strong indeed, and 'strong' is the best ingredient for a meal, hahaha…"

"YOU… YOU MONSTER! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" the ORPHAN charges at Kurohime without fear with its remaining strength and speed, its claw even cuts the trees around.  
"Hmm… so you are not bad at all, may be I should absorb you as well." Kurohime suddenly blinks to avoid the claw attack, and reappears again in front of it. But the OPRHAN continues by opening its mouth to bite her neck.  
Unfortunately, its bite attack is stopped by a barrier that is stronger its strength. "Looks like you are not willing to live longer, oh well, you choose it." Kurohime grins and starts morphing her magnum out by generating dark aura around her right hand.

The ORPHAN changes its mind quickly to escape. Its instinct is telling it that she is going to kill it any moment. When it tries to stay back, it finds out that it cannot move every inch of its muscle, it feels like being bound by something, something called 'fear'.  
"Be honored, that you are able to die under a CHILD's attack." Kurohime aims her gun barrel at its sweating head gladly, then starts twirling wind into it to form a force that even tears the ORPHAN's skin.  
"NO! PLEASE! SHOW MER…" the ORPHAN begs but it is too late as Kurohime blows off its head with a tornado shot and its body starts turning into dust.  
Kurohime looks at her gun and whispers, "Good, I finally able to control 'it'. But I want more, who might be the next?" Kurohime considers her choices, then smirks and disappears slowly.

"_That power, and that feeling, no doubt about it! It's a CHILD within her!"_ Nagi observes everything from above the hill, his tightened eyebrows show his worries and there is only a thing able to trouble him.  
Everything linked to HiME.  
"_This is bad, if she continues her way, then my plan will be ruined. I need to do something about this."_ Nagi turns around and walks away.

"I see, so what you're afraid of all this time finally became true, huh? Man, things are just getting tougher." Right around the front gate for the Fuuka Academy, Natsuki is talking with Keiji, who just told her about Akane's case that caused the improvement of Kurohime's power, but he doesn't reveal Akane's name by explaining that it is her concern now.  
"Kurohime really wants me to die. After all, I know her too well and also the one who able to stop her." Keiji holds his chin and continues, "Now what concerns me is who will she get the CHILD from before Mai. The more CHILD she gain, the more powerful she will become."

"Then, why don't you go and search the other HiME? Then we can secure them and…" Natsuki suggests but Keiji just swings his head and says, "Natsuki, what makes you think that they will simply trust me like you do. I can't just simply reveal my power and tells them about everything. Besides, I had told you before, right? I'd been ordered for not revealing any of the HiME's identity to each other."  
"Then you are just sitting here and doing nothing?" Natsuki finally getting mad and scolds.  
"You're wrong, Natsuki. I know exactly what she wants, and I also know when. I just need to wait and…" Keiji takes out his armor device and says, "Getting this thing recharged in full power. This is needed to fight against her."  
Natsuki reminds the words from their conversation earlier, "Mai?"

"Yes, of all the HiME, Mai's condition fulfills Kurohime's plan of getting the CHILD easily and faster too. Mai's CHILD is also another key to ensure her victory upon me." Keiji's word surprises Natsuki, as far as she knows, nobody ever sees Mai's CHILD, not even the bearer herself. That's why she wonders how can Keiji know so much about it, especially his expression becomes serious when he talks about it.  
"Keiji, just how can you be so sure about when Mai will get her CHILD? And of all of the HiME around, why do you so concern about her?" Natsuki finally asks the question that troubles her all this time.  
"Natsuki, were you just saying that I care too much for Mai?" Keiji looks at her and Natsuki can sense anger within his eyes. "Then answer me, Natsuki. Why are you still bearing your HiME ability? I can just set you up to lure Kurohime out and kill her, without concerning your safety and your CHILD at all." Keiji's serious voice even makes his statement sounds scary.

_He got the point._ Natsuki reconsiders his words and no doubt about that Keiji can choose to let Natsuki fight Kurohime on her own back at the restaurant case, while he can gain time to escort Mai away.  
"I… I am sorry, Keiji." Natsuki apologizes to Keiji.  
Keiji lays his hand on her shoulder, taps it lightly and says, "Never mind, you do nothing wrong at all. I should be thank you for helping me when I asked…" Suddenly, the bell rings and both of them finally realize that they are still on the way to their studies. "We'll talk later."

After some classes, the recess time finally comes and most of the students just rush to the canteen for their lunch, while Keiji is having the sandwich he made at his seat.  
"Keiji, do you have time?" Mai comes to him and asks along with her lunch box.  
"Sure I am, Mai. Please." Keiji puts his lunch box away and leaves some space for Mai's.  
"Keiji, Natsuki said to me that it was your idea of getting me away from my working place yesterday, while I was still working, right?" After Keiji munched some sandwich, Mai asks, without enjoying her lunch at all.  
Keiji gets himself chocked when he knew Natsuki tells Mai the fact. He immediately has some water to smooth his throat. But Mai just keeps asking, "Please Keiji, why did you do that?"

"Mai, what I did is for your safety. I can't tell you the exact reason now but you get to believe me." Keiji looks at Mai and answers.  
"Just how can I believe you when you don't explain anything at all!" Mai is getting frustrated and her voice is getting louder. Some of the students, who are having their lunch in the class as well, look at them and wonder what is actually happening.

All of the sudden, Keiji looks at Mai tenderly and yet, Mai can sense sorrow within him, Keiji's sight never leaves her, he is suffered for not able to tell Mai anything about him, that he is here to help her, protect her, and keep her away from Kurohime or more. All he can do now is watching at Mai's angry eyes that lost faith in him. Keiji cannot stand the stress anymore. He ignores Mai's eyes, boxes up his lunch box and leaves the class.  
When Mai watches he leaves, she just cannot figure out why Keiji looks familiar with someone she knew, someone she feels like stranger and yet friendly when they argued each other.

Someone she has not met for so long - Tate Yuichi.

"Damn, I really need some rest." Keiji rests under a huge tree near the school garden, but he is still feeling sad for Mai's misunderstanding upon him.  
"And a lot of rest indeed, Keiji-kun." Someone talks above him all of the sudden.  
"Who's there?" Keiji stands up, leaps away from the tree and looks above. He finds a boy around Mashiro Kazahana's age is resting on the branch and looking back at him. He leaps down to the ground, closes his book entitled _The Evening with Akira Ishida_.

"Please to meet you, I am Nagi Homura. You can just call me Nagi." His red pupils and white hair makes Keiji remembers his appearance clear enough.  
"Nagi, why shall I find no surprise?"  
"Huh? Did we meet before?" Nagi looks at Keiji in surprise.  
"I heard a lot about you. You are the one links all the HiME together." Slowly, Keiji holds his knuckles and crunches them. "And a dangerous one indeed."

"Just a minute, Keiji-kun. I am not here for a fight, in fact, I am not a fighter, just an observer." Nagi swings his hand to disagree with Keiji's thought.  
"Observer? Just what do you really observe? The HiME's changing time?" Keiji crosses his arms.  
"More than that, Keiji-kun: their dates, battle, and their CHILD, opps!" Nagi chuckles when he is explaining, then he covers his mouth suddenly. He looks at Keiji wickedly and continues, "and also your little fight with that girl."

Keiji notices his changes and keeps on the conversation. "And what you gonna do now? Kill me for interrupting your little game?"  
"No, no, no, as I said before, I am not here to fight." Nagi turns back to his naive look and explains, "In fact, your little appearance just made everything more interesting, and I really enjoy it so far."  
"Then what are you doing here with me? You won't just appear yourself and chat with me?"

"You sure know me well, Keiji-kun. I did have a purpose to see you, and it will fulfill what both of our desire." Nagi smirks and continues. "You see, that girl, Kurohime, I presumed, is breaking the rules. And I need someone to set things right."  
Keiji smiles and replies, "Do you mean I am the one? Sorry, Nagi. I lost to her, remember?"  
"So you're just gonna stay quiet and let her do what she wants? You are not that kind of cool-blooded guy, aren't you, Keiji-kun?" Nagi's words just hit the bulls-eye of Keiji's mind.  
Keiji is speechless and angry when Nagi knows his thinking.

"I will stop Kurohime at any cost." Keiji prepares to leave as he heard the bell rings. He back faced Nagi and continues, even though Nagi already disappeared, "But that is not for your sake, Nagi."

After the last class ends, Keiji goes to the student's council office to inform Shizuru and Reito about his absence.  
"Ara, Keiji-kun, I heard that you took medical leave yesterday. What happened?" Shizuru concerns.  
"Thanks for your concern, Shizuru-san. It was just a normal headache but I am fine now." Keiji thanks.  
"Glad to hear that, it hurts me to see anyone of you not feeling well." After Shizuru puts down her cup of tea, she writes down the details on her report.

"By the way, I hope my absence didn't cost any trouble to you both yesterday." Keiji observes Shizuru carefully.  
"It can't be helped if you were sick, Keiji-kun. We can't just force someone to come to school with a weak body." Reito explains. "Keiji-kun, you got something to tell Shizuru?" He asks when he looks at the concentrating Keiji.  
"Huh? Nothing, nothing at all, hahaha…" Keiji holds his back brain and smiles.

"Really? Then everything is fine then." Reito keeps up his things and prepare to leave soon. "This shall be enough for today. You may go now, Keiji-kun."  
"Then I shall leave now, there is something I need to catch with. Have a nice day. By the way, Shizuru-san, I heard that there are some stalkers lurking around the area. Therefore I hope you can go home as soon as possible, for your own safety."  
"Thanks for your concern, Keiji-kun. I will keep that in mind." Shizuru replies happily.

After Keiji closes the door and walks along the doorway, he finally relieved a sigh.  
_"Good, she is safe. Now, who shall I refer next?" _

Night is approaching and Keiji is standing right in front of a giant rock located within the forest. After he ensured some HiME's safety by looking for them around the school, his worries become less, as most of the HiME still bears their ability. He gazes upon the smooth surface of the rock for a long time, until he does not notice Natsuki's arrival.

"Why are you calling me to this place? I thought you want me to keep an eye on Mai." Before Natsuki continues, she finally observes the drawing on the wall Keiji is watching. It is a drawing of a dragon soars in the sky and attacks group of monsters by fire. The picture may look fuzzy, but Natsuki can see its appearance easily, the dragon has wings, three pairs of green glowing eyes, and a sword is stabbed through its beak-like mouth.  
"What is this?" She asks curiously.

"A key." Keiji explains steadily.  
"A key?"  
"Yes, a key." Keiji finally looks at Natsuki and continues, "A key that will affects everything that happened tonight; a key ensures HiME's fate; and also a key for me to win against Kurohime." Keiji touches the wall, his expression is so tender, like his is being blessed for able to see this.

"Keiji?" Natsuki whispers when she notices Keiji's expression.  
"Natsuki, I wanted you to come here is nothing more than about Kurohime. I just checked up with most of the HiME and every one of them is safe right now. But there are still some HiME I failed to meet, I just hope if they are okay."  
"But don't you worry that Kurohime will get their power right after you met them, just like what you told me last time." Natsuki's warning seems possible, she does not know that HiME's real identity yet, but she concern that Keiji will make the same mistake like the last time.

"You got the point, Natsuki. But what makes a HiME able to fight an ORPHAN? Their abilities aren't just simply given for decoration, like yours, they are weapons too. Unless if she can make it here on time, or else she won't waste another minute for fighting with other HiME." Keiji speaks. "But still, I cannot deny that Kurohime may gain another CHILD now, that's why I had gone to warn the other HIME by giving rumors about criminals and stalkers, hoping they will be more careful about their surrounding."

"Keiji, I think I get a better idea, why don't you just stop Mai from obtaining her CHILD? In that case, Mai will be safer right? I bet Kurohime won't fight a HiME which doesn't bear a CHILD." Natsuki gets another idea. In fact, it is the thing she wishes most, which all the HiME will not assemble together.

"No, Mai is going to get her CHILD! As long as she is chosen to be a HiME, it is her destiny to have a CHILD! And fight with it!" Keiji suddenly shouts at Natsuki and his behavior almost scares Natsuki, he is too serious about Mai just like she thought.  
"Then I will stop her."  
"And how many times can you do that? She may not do it today, but she will do it soon, it is just the matter of time, Natsuki!" Keiji demands, "And it is not something you can stop easily, Natsuki. And let me tell you something you shall not know, Mai is going to obtain her CHILD on her own will, no matter you like it or not."

"I am gonna try either!" Natsuki puts on her helmet and guns her bike out from the forest and look for Mai.  
"Wait!" Keiji is trying to stop her, but another thing just catch his attention. _"Kurohime!" _Keiji, along with his armor device and his katana, rushes into the forest and track down the presence he is aware of.  
"_Mai, I just hope you can get 'it' soon enough. I think I might not hold her too long."_

It is late in the night. A girl is running like hell with a boy by her side. His heart disease causes him keeps panting hardly and holding his chest, while the girl keeps encouraging him to go further.  
"But sis… I cannot… run… any… more… just go… without… me." The boy does not want his sister to be in danger because of him. With his suffering that increases his difficulty in breathing, he wants her to go.  
"What are you talking about, Takumi? You are my only brother and I am not going to leave you here. NOT A CHANCE!" Mai neglects his words and puts his arm over her shoulder. "And I'm not gonna let that monster eats you like it wants, NEVER!" then they starts running again.

Actually, an ORPHAN attacked both Tokiha Mai and Tokiha Takumi while they were taking a walk in a forest. They kept running until they reached the giant rock, and Takumi finally cannot make it further anymore, Mai puts him by somewhere in the bush and warns him not to make a voice, while she is thinking of some way to lure the ORPHAN to catch her only.

Meanwhile, there is also another encounter not far from Mai's place and one of them is losing.

After he repelled another bullet, Keiji rushes again to get closer to Kurohime. When he slashes, Kurohime slips it like flowing stream and takes aim at Keiji's right shoulder. Keiji reacts immediately as he noticed it, by bending down to avoid the shot and sweeps her feet. Kurohime smirks, even though she is hit, and she simply cartwheeling by supporting herself with one arm and gets herself back in balance. Keiji, along with his sweeping kick, performs another slash upon Kurohime's supporting arm but he misses it again.  
Kurohime leaps away to stay away from Keiji, following with a few shot towards Keiji. He tries his best to repel and dodge after he gets himself ready, but two shots hits his armor on his shoulder and chest and cracks them.

Keiji looks at the flaws and starts worrying. He is sure that his enemy had already able to control Akane's CHILD now, and it is a bad news to him because he is going to fight against the power that overwhelms him. He really need some aid, the help from the HiME. But, if they are getting careless, then Kurohime will absorb that CHILD too. Unless, he able to use their power like Kurohime does.

"_This is bad, now she even can control HARRY's ability, I cannot stand against her for long at this rate."_ Keiji thinks when he is avoiding another shot. Even the shot just passed by him, Keiji can feel the pressure from the speed it created. He wields his katana hard with one hand, while his other hand balancing himself when he bends down to avoid another shot. His waving ponytail follows his every movement like a flowing river, as he keeps striding and leaping to avoid Kurohime's attack. _"Hurry up, Mai! Please get it quickly, there is no time left."_

"Hurry up, Mai. If you don't obtain it, then all of you will die." In same time, Nagi, who showed up on top of the wallstone, persuades Mai to get her CHILD.  
"No, Mai. Don't be fooled by Nagi." Natsuki is standing against the ORPHAN now. She tries to kill the ORPHAN before Mai receives her CHILD. She keeps shooting at it, along with DURAN's launcher support.  
"Mai, don't you want to protect your brother? The one you treasure most? Then go and get it." Nagi grins as Mai is walking closer to the rock. It is the rock with the dragon's drawing Keiji saw not long ago.

"DURAN! Load chrome cartridge!" Natsuki cannot postpone the battle anymore, she has to settle this at once. The silver wolf of hers loads the ammo into the launcher on its shoulder and waits for her command. "FIRE!" And DURAN shoots out the explosive blast and pierces the Orphan into half, both the upper and lower parts of the ORPHAN fall on the ground. Natsuki, without checking its death, runs to Mai quickly. "Mai, listen here. If you don't want to get yourself in danger, you better stay away from all this HiME business, don't ever listen to that bastard!" Natsuki aims to Nagi and shouts, "Nagi, just how many people you want to endanger until you are satisfied?"

"Come on, Natsuki, don't be mad." Nagi acts innocent, but he still smiles wickedly. "Although I want Mai to get her CHILD, it is still her decision. I never force a HiME, I am always a gentleman, am I?"  
"Shut up!" Natsuki fires at Nagi for his ridiculous talk.  
"Whow! That was close." Nagi slips aside and avoids the bullet. "Natsuki, I will not take that shot if I were you. I'll better save it up for…" Nagi points at the fallen ORPHAN and continues, "them."

"Them?" just when Natsuki and Mai are confused, both parts of the ORPHAN that should have died move again. Their ruined parts are regenerated back in normal, what differs them is the upper part now have wings like bee and a long sharp tail, and the lower part gains its own head and a pair of scythe arm.  
"Is this your another trick, Nagi?" Natsuki reloads her gun and scolds at Nagi. But he rather enjoys the show than answers to Natsuki anymore.  
"Now, who will win this round?" Nagi leans by the wallstone and wonders the result.

Another round of battle between the HiME and the Child restarts, but this time Natsuki is going to face two ORPHAN if Mai still refuses to fight. Since the two ORPHAN are reborn from one, their attacks are synchronized and organized well. Both Natsuki and DURAN are starting to lose as Natsuki is being aimed as their main target.

"Natsuki!" Mai shouts as the flying ORPHAN hits Natsuki's back and send her far from Mai. Natsuki, on the other hand, trying so hard to stand up and keeps fighting. Just when DURAN is fighting with the scythe ORPHAN, the flying ORPHAN now takes its chance by attacking Mai, who is near to it. The flying ORPHAN stares at its prey and maintain its position, while Mai's body is shivering due to her fear on the monster before her. The ORPHAN's sight never leaves hers, its lips keeps dripping its saliva that even melts the ground below it, Mai cannot imagine what will happen when it catches her. Mai slowly steps backward towards the wallstone behind her.

"Mai! Run away! Run away now!" Just when Natsuki is shouting, the flying ORPHAN immediately take charge by collide toward Mai. Mai is too scary to move, and her step finally reaches the wall, on impulse, Mai raises both her arm on impulse to block her from the ORPHAN's attack and screams. Her scream may be not loud, but someone who is able to hear it from far.

"_Mai!"_ Back to Keiji, he can hear it loud and clear because of the antenna on his helmet, so as Kurohime.  
"Well, looks like your dear HiME just need some help, huh? But too bad, you can't, Keiji." Kurohime speaks and fires again at Keiji who is hiding behind a tree.  
But, instead of feeling nervous, Keiji is becoming calm; he is smiling instead of getting worry. _"Is that so?"_ He looks at the explosion not far and he is certain about Mai's safety.

"What the…" Natsuki is speechless, not because of she able to dodge the scythed ORPHAN's deadly attack, but the barrier that protects Mai from the flying ORPHAN, flames are surrounding Mai's wrists and legs, then morphs out two pairs of bracelets. Just when Mai comes back to her senses, she is surprised that she is wearing something weird and wondering what it is.

"Good, Mai. Looks like you finally decided to be a HiME after all." Nagi is feeling happy when Mai finally able to use her ELEMENT.  
"What is this? Is this your doing?" Mai points the arm bracelets towards Nagi and asks.  
"What are you talking about? They are yours right from the start. It is your choice for using or not using it." Nagi explains. "Now, Mai. Are you ready to obtain 'it'?" Nagi points the drawing on the wallstone ad continues, "Are you ready to get… your CHILD?" Just when Nagi continues his persuasion, Natsuki tries to get near but the annoying ORPHAN disturbs her again.

Mai does not listen to both Nagi's and Natsuki's word now. She is watching at the eyes of the drawn dragon. _"It is you right?"_ Mai whispers. _"It is you who saved me from the cruise incident, right?"_ Suddenly, just within a blink of eye, Mai can see the dragon's eye flashes once.

"Mai, if you really want to protect the one you care and prevent those monster from killing your treasure one, just pull the dagger on the dragon's mouth, then it will be yours to command." Nagi questions Mai's desire to protect her most precious. "This is the last chance, Mai. Or you rather let the monster kills everyone here?"  
Just when Nagi mentions the most important word, Mai looks at the bush where she hided her brother. Unfortunately, the flying ORPHAN, which just being blown away by her barrier, notices him when its flippering wings blew away the bush. Takumi, however, is unable to move because of his heart disease.

"Takumi!" Mai looks at the ORPHAN and back to the wallstone, she finally decides, "Is it gonna listen to me if I release it?" Nagi crosses his arms and answers, "It's your CHILD, if you can't make it, who else?" Without thinking anymore, Mai flies up to the top of the rock. And with her certain will, she grab the dagger Nagi mentioned and pulls it.

At the same, a lightning flashes through Keiji's mind when he misses a slash at Kurohime. He dodges her counter shots and hides behind another tree, he looks at the light where Mai is and smiles.  
_"Thank you, Mai…"_

**End of Thursday **

_Author's word:_

_Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did._

_This chapter was written by taking the animation as main route, and made some changes to fit in this fiction, but the description for rock is originally from My-HiME PS2 game – The tree of destiny.  
__Although Kurohime's power is strengthened, but Keiji seems to have a way to stop her. What will it be? Why does he want Mai to get her CHILD so eagerly? Just stay tuned and don't forget to R&R, Thank you._

_See you tomorrow._


	5. Friday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline and some original characters.  
__Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

_If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine._

**Friday**

After a bright light shines out from the stabbed flaw of the stonewall, Mai wonders if she had obtained the CHILD successfully. She sees nothing changes at all, only she has the dagger in her hands now, the dagger which she pulled out from the mouth of the drawn dragon.

Mai looks at the dagger and feels like been cheated. She looks at Nagi and asks, "You said I will get it after I put out the dagger, where is it now?"  
Nagi looks up in the sky, points at it and says, "Beautiful, isn't it?"  
Just when Mai has no idea of what it means, she notices Natsuki's expression of surprised and both the ORPHAN look above too.

"No way… it is my… CHILD?"  
Mai is shocked when she found out that a creature is soaring in the sky. It is a white dragon with a pair of burning wings; its tails look more like phoenix and flowing like burning ribbons. But what catch Mai's most attention are its six green glowing eyes. The dragon notices the HiME who holds the sealed dagger and it is descending towards her.

It keeps floating in the air and looking at Mai, the dagger in Mai's hand responds to the presence of the dragon and shatters into pieces slowly, they flows towards the dragon's mouth and reforms a dagger pierced through it.

"What… is happening?" Mai questions.  
"Kagutsuchi only respond to the one who holds the dagger, which able to seal and control it." Nagi walks forward and explains, "And it seems it had admitted you, a HiME, are its master now."  
"Kagu…tsuchi?" Mai pronounces the name to confirm it.  
"Yes, that CHILD's name… is Kagutsuchi." Nagi points at the dragon and ensures Mai. "Now, Mai, see if you can able to protect your precious now?"  
"Takumi?" Mai looks at the flying ORPHAN, which still bewares of Kagutsuchi, the newborn CHILD with unknown ability. She immediately takes the chance and flies towards her brother before the ORPHAN takes its move.

But the scythe ORPHAN roars at its comrade and awakes the stunned ORPHAN about Mai's action, the flying ORPHAN reacts by charging to Mai with its body. Just when it almost reaches her, Kagutsuchi collides it away from Mai and makes a path for her. Kagutsuchi roars out loudly at its enemy along with its eyes glowing in bright green.

Just when the scythe ORPHAN tries to assist the fallen, it just forgot that it still in the battle with another HiME. Natsuki raises up both of her guns and finishes all the bullets onto its face.  
"DURAN! LOAD CRIMSON CARTRIDGE!" Just when it is suffering for the pain the ELEMENT caused, DURAN was already in position and waiting for command.  
"FIRE!" DURAN roars and shoots out two flame grenades towards the ORPHAN. They hit the targets and burn it with high temperature.

On the other hand, Keiji is still facing Kurohime and he pants rapidly for the battle. His armor is running out of energy.

"Now, Keiji. Will you just step aside, while I go and meet your Mai-hime."  
Kurohime starts walking, without feeling tired at all. She just looks steady like before the fight. While Keiji is totally exhausted for holding her from approaching more towards Tokiha Mai, the one he wants to protect desperately. Keiji cannot believe that he cannot even make her sweat at all!

But, he cannot let her pass. Keiji knows this very well from the day he arrived here. There are HiME's behind his back and their fate lies in his hand. He cannot let Kurohime passes and reach them! Keiji gains back his strength and stands against her again. "Not a chance, Kurohime. I will guard them while I am here."

_"But can I do now? The armor is out of energy soon, and I don't stand a chance against her, unless…"_

Kurohime rises up her magnum and aims at his head, "Then die." Just right before she triggers her magnum, Keiji fighter's spirit comes back to him, he raises his hard knuckles high above his head, then with all his might he strikes at the ground and creates a blow.  
Kurohime steps back at once, away form Keiji and the dust cloud the blow made. She starts firing at every inch she can into it. Just when she finished the magazine, she reloads them and waits until the smoke disappears. There is no one in her sight, Keiji is gone!  
Or somewhere he has to go…

As for Mai, she successfully retreats her brother and tries to sent him to the hospital. Just when she thinks she can safely out from the flying ORPHAN's pursuit, it binds her leg with one of its obstacles. Mai falls on the ground and Takumi is slipped from her hand. In the mean time, Natsuki comes to help her with her CHILD loaded with silver cartridge.

"NO! GET MY BROTHER TO THE HOSPITAL NOW! HE CAN'T MAKE IT FOR LONG!" Mai shouts at the HiME near her brother, while she uses her ELEMENT to burn the obstacle that bound her.  
"PLEASE NATSUKI! I BEG YOU!"

"_There is nothing I can do now, she had claimed the CHILD anyway. And she is right, he looks too ill to stay for any longer."_ Natsuki puts Takumi on DURAN slowly, then it starts running with her into the forest to reach her bike.  
"Just don't do anything stupid until I am back, you get me?" Mai just back faced Natsuki, without saying anything at all, but Natsuki can feel her determination to stay alive. She has to.

Now, there is only Mai, and her Child and the only ORPHAN left. Nagi had left while they are busy handling things. Mai, with ELEMENT fully activated, charges at the ORPHAN and blocks its attacks with the fire bracelets, while Kagutsuchi is assisting while there is a chance, although all of them are wild attacks. Just when Mai thought she is going to give it a final strike, another obstacle catches her right arm and left leg. Now she is opened for attack and Kagutsuchi cannot stop it at all since Mai will be within its attack range. The flying ORPHAN uses its sharp tail and ready to stab through Mai's heart.

"Mai, cover yourself!" Without thinking anymore for where the warning's from, Mai covers herself by sheilding herself with ELEMENT. The next thing she hears is the sounds of slashing and the roar of the ORPHAN.  
"You're okay, Mai?" Mai opens her eyes and surprised to find out who helped her.

"Kei… Keiji? What are you doing here?" Actually, after Keiji manages to pushes back Kurohime for a short while with the sand dust, he quickly deactivates his armor and runs to reach Mai. Now, Keiji has his school clothes on, but the deactivation does not heal his wounds.  
"We will talk later, Mai. Where is Natsuki?" Keiji asks after he did not have Natsuki in his sight.

"She is sending my brother to the hospital. Probably will come back later." Mai answers, with surprises still in her eyes.  
"Is she? Then it will be fine." Keiji looks at Kagutsuchi, as it is observing him as well.

"I can't believe myself, that I can see you in this way."  
Strangely, Kagutsuchi does not react violently, but it responds to Keiji by flipping the ears by its head.  
"You know it, Keiji?" Mai dematerializes her ELEMENT and asks.  
"It is a long story, Mai. But now…" Keiji looks at the direction he came from and continues, "we have to go, can you dismiss Kagutsuchi for now?"

"But… but how?" Mai doesn't know the way to dismiss it!  
"Please, you can do it, just close your eyes and think." Keiji looks at Mai with confidence. She steps in front of Kagutsuchi, closing her eyes, then Kagutsuchi turns itself into red flames and disappears by burning out in the air.  
"Good, now, Mai. Please follow me, we need a talk." Keiji holds Mai's hand and leads her into the forest.

At the same time, after Natsuki made sure Takumi is safe, she prepares to leave to assist Mai. But, the nameplate of a ward door grabs her attention before she leaves. It is an infamous name among her juniors for been fooling around the opposite genders like a bitch.  
The name of another HiME she does not know, Yuuki Nao.

"Mai, sorry for telling you this late, but you got to believe me." Hiding on top of a tree together, Keiji explains.  
"Keiji, I may be naive, but I not childish enough to buy it." Mai stares at Keiji with no faith in his words at all.  
"A girl who can fuse with those creature is coming to get me? And want to absorb Kagutsuchi as well? Just what kind of joke is this?"  
"I am no joking, Mai! Just how can I make you believe that?" Keiji just can't find a better way to convince the orange-haired girl before him.

"Unless tell me who you really are, Keiji."  
"I'd already told you, Mai. I am just a normal human who was sent here to secure all of the HiMEs."  
"Is that so?" Mai points at Keiji's wound and asks, "I won't buy it if you can recover this fast. For some wound like that it takes at least hours to heal, but you did it within minutes. Not to mention that you can hold me and jumps from tree to tree without any problem at all."

_Curse my resilient body._

"Mai, you may be right. I am not a normal human generally, but I am not a monster either. I had been trained to fight ORPHAN since I was a kid, therefore I am able to do things which normal human cannot."  
"But how does it explain about your body?"

"It… is the only thing I cannot tell you Mai. It might kill me if you know too much about me." Keiji seems suffering from telling Mai about the truth about him. In fact, he is strictly disallowed from telling anything about his body's unique ability.  
"But only one thing I can assure you Mai, that I will protect you, even it costs my life for it. I swear it."

"Keiji…" Mai cannot talk anymore to question about him when she is looking into Keiji's eyes, "Just why… why are you willing to do this? You could have get yourself killed."  
"It's because… I…" Just before he wants to finish his words, a click of a trigger just brings him back to senses.  
"Hold me tight, Mai!" Keiji holds Mai in his arms and leaps away from the tree before the branch is blown by a powerful shot.

"_Kurohime, she finally catches up with us."_ Landing on another bush, Keiji speaks. "There is no time to waste, Mai! I need your help!"  
Just when Mai is still in confusion, Keiji continues, "I need you… to lend me your CHILD."  
"My…WHAT?" Mai is surprised when she heard Keiji's unusual request.  
"You heard me right, Mai. I will need to borrow your CHILD to fight against Kurohime. It's my only chance."

"But… but how, don't you just say that Kurohime can fuse with my CHILD if I summoned it?"  
"Yes, that is if Kagutsuchi shows up its form." Keiji shows up his armor device and continues, "but not if it is sealed within here."

"What is this, a cog wheel?" Mai's question reminds him a _de javu_.  
"A device specially made for me to fight against stronger ORPHAN by building an armor for me, it also a device with a unique system to let me using the HiME's ability." Keiji looks at Mai again and continues, "if she permitted me."  
"Permit you to use her power?" Mai asks again.

"Do you see this orb? It will scan the fingerprints of the HiME who touches it; at the same time, it records and analyzes her voice when she is mentioning her CHILD's name as password. After these procedures, it will reboot the system within fifteen minutes and restart the armor programme to be fit with the permitted HiME and her CHILD's ability." Keiji explains to Mai about its function, just like he had been told before he came to Fukka Academy.

Just when they are talking, Kurohime fires another shot towards them. Keiji immediately covers Mai with his body and the bullet hits his arm. Since he is not wearing his armor, the bullet pierces through it and makes Keiji bites his lower lips to stand the pain.  
"Keiji!" As soon as Mai noticed the wound, she immediately materializes her ELEMENT to fight alongside with him, and protect him as well. But Keiji holds her arm with his bleeding hand and stops her. He swings his head because he wants Mai to stand out of the fight. "I'd told you before, right? It is my job to cover you from danger, not you, Mai?"

"But your arm, Keiji. You're just been shot! And you ask me to just stay calm and do nothing?" Mai starts to argue with Keiji. She knows that she can fight along with him since she is a HiME, even though she knows the risk of losing her power. She rushes towards Kurohime and faces her on the plains not far from them.  
"Mai, wait!" Keiji tries to hold her but his injury just makes him stops. He looks at the device that is still lack of energy.  
"There is no other choice."

"Greetings, Mai. And looks like you finally obtained a CHILD and became a HiME. Congratulations." Kurohime looks at the armed Mai and greets after she dematerializes her guns.  
"So, you are Kurohime. And what makes you so happy to see me, is it because you are going to kill me and claim my power?"

"Kill? Come on, you believe what Keiji told you blindly?" Kurohime puts her arms on her waist and says, "Mai-chan. I am not that violent enough to kill so I can get what I want. In fact, the HiME gives me their power on their will, I didn't force them to." Kurohime acts innocence and continues, "HiME is destined to fight like a barbarian and cannot shares this problem with their love ones. Isn't it funny? A girl shall enjoy her life with romance and live her life happily with someone she loves, not getting themselves involved in such brutal game."

While Mai is listening, her bracelets' fire becomes weaker. Kurohime notices it and smirks before she starts her another persuasion. "So, Mai. Why don't you cooperate with me? All you have to do is pass your ability to me, and you can continue your life like any normal girl can, just simple like A, B, C, right?"

Just when Kurohime thought she almost successful, Mai finally answers.  
"Kurohime, it is true that a normal girl like me shall have a normal school life with friends, get in love with someone and live peacefully for the rest of her life. I once tried to abandon the task of being a HiME and think such way too." Kurohime smiles wickedly until she hears the rest.  
"But, by the moment I pulled the dagger and unleashed my CHILD, I had made my mind, that I will not run away anymore, because I want to protect the one I treasured, so they can live along with me." Mai's ELEMENT comes back to burn fiercely. "With this power of a HiME."

"Is it so?" Kurohime sighs and she finally aims at Mai with her gun.  
"Then you leave me no choice then, Mai-chan. I will claim your power after you died." Then Kurohime fires at Mai rapidly. Mai avoids and blocks them with her bracelets, until a shot is powerful enough to make her fall on the ground. Just before she tries to get up again, Kurohime starts generating power on the gun barrel.  
"Farewell, Mai-hime" Kurohime ends it by firing a shot with the force of a tornado that twirls and rages at Mai.

Just when Mai raises up her arms to protect herself and manage to summon her CHILD, someone had stood before her, he is wearing his wrecked armor again and uses all of his might to hold the tornado, the force even breaks his helmet and reveals his face to Mai.

"Keiji! That armor?"  
Just when Mai is surprised by his reactivated armor, Keiji's trembling arms begin to arch because he is weakened after previous fight and now it is almost impossible for him to stand against Kurohime's attack.

"Now, Mai! Get away from here! You are far too weak to fight her." Keiji tries to hold the tornado so she gets a chance to flee.  
"But how about you?"  
"I will try everything to hold her from getting you. Go now and get more HiME's help! I am counting on you! Argh!" Suddenly Keiji's arm armor explodes and reveals his skin. It's only the matter of time before Kurohime crushes his armor.  
"No, Keiji. You will come with me. I cannot just leave you here." Mai starts crying and asks Keiji to escape with her.

"Mai, about your question just now, you're asking why do I want to protect you so desperately, right?" Keiji's question makes Mai's cheek starts to get reddish. Keiji forces himself a smile, his eyes is looking at hers tenderly.  
"It's because I love you, Mai. Of all the woman in the world, you are the one I love most and I can't let you die, not if I am still able to stand on my feet."  
Mai just can't stop herself from blushing more reddish, both of them knew each other no more than a week, and Keiji confesses his feeling towards her in such situation. All of this happens so suddenly until she is doubt of what she has to do next.  
"Therefore, Mai. Run away from here! Don't make me break my promise again." Keiji starts being pushed backward again and the armor on his other arm cannot hold any longer.

All of a sudden, Keiji's expression and his broad back just remind Mai about Tate Yuichi. She does not know the reason, she just got that kind of feeling within a flash, a feeling of someone who will protect her from everything. Keiji's eyes even look as same as Keiji, they are serious but tenderness within them.  
Mai slowly hugs Keiji from behind without worrying the danger. She can hear his heartbeat and feel the warmth of the protector under his cool armor. She finally makes up her mind and whispers to Keiji.

Just in the nick of time, a silhouette appears above them and interrupts the battle.

"DURAN! LOAD SILVER CATRIDGE!" Keiji knows the voice and smiles when he knows she returns to help.  
"FIRE!" By Natsuki's command, DURAN fires ice grenades upon Kurohime and freezes her within a blast of ice waves. It helps Keiji to take the chance to push the weakened tornado shot away. He finally eases up a bit and Mai holds him when he is falling.

"Natsuki, how is Takumi, is he okay?" Mai asks when the blue-haired gunner lands by their side.  
"He is fine and resting at the hospital. In the mean time, I think we need to go while we can." Natsuki holds Keiji on the other side and all of them leave the iced area.

"Man, that was really close. I thought I almost dead back then." Standing on one of the tree branches, Nagi sweeps his forehead after he saw the messes around the forest. He can't believe that someone who is not a HiME can nearly destroy the whole forest.  
"But still, why am I feeling strange about that Kurohime? No, on top of that, there is something weird about that Keiji as well after he put on his armor. Just what is it?" Nagi tries to get some clues from what he saw along the way.  
"Argh… this is too hard, I better observe a little longer."

"Not so fast, everyone." A voice echoes from the blasted iced area shocks both Natsuki and Mai. When they turned themselves and look at it, the ground starts to rumble and the ice that sealed Kurohime starts to crack.  
As far as Natsuki know, no one ever successfully able to break DURAN's ice attack. She is very sure that Kurohime will not be free for at least few hours before she managed to use DURAN to attack.

"Natsuki, get Mai out of here." Whispering softly, Keiji tends to stand on his own again with his shaking legs. His action worries the girls by his side.  
"Keiji, are you nuts or something? You are committing suicide by fighting her now!" Natsuki scolds him.  
"You care?" Keiji's replies with blood vomited and flow down to his chin.  
"That's not the point here. We get to go away from here now, and you are coming with us!" Natsuki tries to hold his arm again but he swings it away.

"You little annoying bitch! Get away from here right now!" Keiji stares at both Mai and Natsuki fiercely. Both of the HiME are surprised by his reaction and on top of that, his words are too cruel for thanking someone helps him.  
"What did you just say?" Natsuki cannot understand his intention and starts quarreling.

"Didn't you hear me? I say get out from my sight now, you stupid female!" Keiji smirks at them.  
"Man, I am tiring for serving long enough onto some girl like you. You're just doing no good as a woman or a HiME, or your ability is just good on the bed and serving…" Before Keiji finishes, Natsuki slaps his face for insulting girl's pride.

"Fine! Go and die like you want! Let's go, Mai!" the hot-tempered Natsuki is blazed and she drags Mai away with Duran following them. Before they are running out from his sight, both DURAN and Keiji has a glance at each other and Keiji relieves a trusting smile onto DURAN.

_Yes, go away and don't come back. And please protect them with all you can, my friend. _Keiji returns his sight back on the iced cage that is almost busted open.

"Strange…" Mai is thinking while Natsuki is getting ready to run the bike's engine.  
"What are you thinking about? Let's go." Natsuki calls Mai before she covers her helmet's shade.  
"Natsuki, don't you think we must stay by Keiji's side? You know he will die if he fights under such condition." Mai still concerns about Keiji.

"You still care for that bastard? Forget him!" Natsuki is angered when Mai is mentioning about Keiji. She uncovers the shade and looks at Mai. "Don't you get angry when he insulted us such way?"  
"Of course I am angry! His words are too awful! But then, somehow I think he just wanted to persuade us to go, away from him and that woman." Mai reconsiders all the circumstances and wonders.  
"Man, just what makes you still believe in him?" Natsuki sits straightly on the bike's seat and asks.  
"I… I don't know. All I know is that if we don't help him, then he will die." Mai looks back at the forest after she heard explosion behind it.  
"I am going back."

"What?" Natsuki says.  
"You heard me. I am going back." Without thinking anymore, Mai runs back into the forest back to where they left Keiji.  
"Mai, wait! Damn!" Natsuki guns her bike back into the forest after Mai.

Keiji roars when Kurohime hits his abdomen directly with a charged energy shot. Its incredible power has blasted Keiji away from his enemy like a swung baseball. It is a fortunate that he is still wearing the armor that prevents his body by being blasted apart, but the impact from the shot and direct hit on the trees just caused more injuries and wounds upon him. After Keiji forced himself to fight Kurohime, his armor is almost ruined and now there's only the wrecked chest vest and right leg armor remain adapted, his only weapon, the katana, had already been snapped into two.

With his trembling hands supporting his weak body to get up from the smashed ground, Keiji vomits blood unwillingly and his tiring eyes shows his dissatisfaction for the huge difference between Kurohime's power and his. He really cannot believe himself that the device supposes to strengthen his ability, is acting useless right all, it indirectly tells him that he is nothing like a powerless kid upon Kurohime.

"_Damn it!" _Keiji holds his fists hard as steel.  
_"Even with this device, I still can't fight against her?" _Keiji observes the orb of the device, it just starts to getting bright, _"It still not ready yet, what shall I do now?"_

Keiji slowly stands up, but his trembling legs are just reaching their limit and bends down again, but Keiji barely forces himself to keep on standing and fighting, and his eyes are looking at the approaching enemy fiercely.

After she successfully controls Akane's CHILD's ability, Kurohime has pushed her power to reach another limit and surpasses Keiji. She looks at the defeated Keiji gladly, as she knows that he cannot do anything more to stop her from getting other HiME's power. But deep in her mind, Keiji will still intrude her way if she doesn't kill him now.  
Kurohime slowly forms dark aura twirling like a rod in her hand, then it becomes solid lance within a blink.  
"Keiji, thank you for playing with me all this time. It is so much fun and pleasure." Kurohime catches the lance and ready to throws it.  
"Take this as an honor I can give to a warrior like you, farewell."

Keiji cannot respond at all, his remaining strength only enough for him to stand and watches the way he meet him doom; His trembling knuckles is numb, even he tries to hard to raises them one more time to block the fencing attack, his tiring legs do not react like he wants to avoid Kurohime's finishing move.  
"_Is this the end? Not even give me a chance to claim the CHILD away from her?"_ Keiji looks at the approaching attack and curses for his fate.  
_"I am sorry, Mai…"_

Just when everything seems decided, a figure just dash out from nowhere and pushes Keiji away, its action had made Kurohime misses her target, but the lance straightly impales through the intruder's body.

**End of Friday**

_Author's word:_

_Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did._

_So, how will you feel when someone you believe suddenly treats you like an idiot, like Keiji did to the HiMEs here? Will you think the same like Mai figured that Keiji was doing this to keep them away from facing the danger with him? I can figure some answers like 'Bullshit', 'Of course not', or even 'Who cares, it won't happen to me anyway, right?'  
__True, this is a fiction after all, and fiction is not 100 percent fact. But we can never deny, that sometimes we lie even to ourselves, just intend to keep someone we care away from danger or getting hurt, either physically or mentally._

_See you tomorrow._


	6. Saturday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline and some original characters.  
__Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

_If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine._

**Saturday **

Keiji's irises shrink and his thinking stuns when his savior that is smiling at him right now.  
"Keiji… are… you alright?" Mai's limp body falls into Keiji's arm and her eyes are looking at him gently.  
"Mai, just what the heck do you think you are doing? I thought you ran away with Natsuki."  
Holding her limp body in his chest, Keiji checks the injury and finds out it is a lethal strike.  
Natsuki has reached them along with DURAN in the same time.

"Just hang on, Mai! Stay with me." Keiji keeps calling Mai back into conscious.  
Keiji touches Mai's wound with his bleeding arm and tries to heal her by channeling the rest of his energy, his blood streams and mixes with Mai's slowly.  
"Keiji… your arm…" Mai whispers after she noticed Keiji's injuries.  
"Just forget it and don't talk. Save your strength."  
"It's fine… Keiji … it is noth…" Suddenly Mai vomits blood suddenly before she finishes.

"Mai!" Keiji can feel it, her weakening pulse, her lifeless sight, and none of the less; her limp body is getting cooler.  
"Natsuki, get Mai to the hospital, don't ever come back for me." Keiji begs Natsuki on his knees.  
"Don't talk something foolish! You are too weak!"  
"Better than leaving Mai die before me!" Keiji puts Mai over Duran gently. Natsuki can see his tears and his worries for Mai's life.

"But…" Natsuki does not feel angry on him anymore after she saw his reaction upon Mai' incident.  
She understands now that he really does not want any HiME get injured in front of him.  
"I have no time for anymore lecture, just go! Please, I beg you, Natsuki!" Keiji's dire expression even makes Natsuki falls into dilemma.

When they are making decision, Kurohime takes her chance to web Duran and the HiME with new power.  
"What the?" Keiji uses all of his remaining strength and tends to tear the web apart with his bare hands.  
_"This strength, this ability, is it?" _Keiji another worry had turned into fact.  
"Forget it, Keiji-kun. JULIA's web is too strong for you to even slash it with your sword." Kurohime slowly walks out from the trees, "Now, DURAN. Come and join me, will you?" She starts pulling the silver wolf towards her, along with the HiMEs.

"Let us go, you monster!" Natsuki materializes her pistol and starts shooting at Kurohime, but they are all fail to pierce through her barrier.  
"Useless." Kurohime laughs as Natsuki's attack does not damage her at all. In the mean time, Keiji tries to hold Duran by grabbing the web, but he only slows the speed, not able to stop it. The soil that was dragged under his feet even scares him more.  
"Mai, can't you just summon your fire to burn this thing out?" Natsuki is out of idea and asks the HiME besides her, but she responds nothing.

"Mai?" Natsuki shocked when she holds Mai's body.  
"Natsuki! What happened?" Keiji's heart hammers faster when he noticed the gunner's reaction.  
"JUST ANSWER ME! GOD DAMN IT!"  
"Mai... Mai is…" Without waiting for Natsuki's answer, Keiji quickly grabs Mai's hand.  
His act causes him holds his breathe when he found out the results.

_No temperature… no breathe… no heartbeat…_

"MAAAIII!" Keiji cries out loud, and without anyone notice, the orb on his chest is getting brighter and words appears within it. The changes of the integer synchronize with Keiji's heartbeats and his flashbacks of Mai all these days.

'System Reboot 96 percent completed'  
"_Akitoh-san, right? I am Tokiha Mai, please to meet you..."_

'System Reboot 97 percent completed'  
"_I live over there. Since my part-time's done, mind if I join the morning jog along…"_

'System Reboot 98 percent completed'  
"_Just how can I believe you when you don't explain anything at all…"_

'System Reboot 99 percent completed'  
"_Keiji… are… you alright…"_

'System Reboot 100 percent completed.  
Voice Analysis: Affirmative  
Fingerprint scan: Matched  
HiME: Tokiha Mai  
CHILD: Kagutsuchi  
Permission: Granted'

'**P**ermissible **R**e**I**nforcement a**N**d **C**ombat **E**nforcer - **P.R.I.N.C.E** system activated.'

The symbol of HiME tints up in the middle of the orb when the countdown is completed, so as Keiji's anger is reaching his limit and ready to explode at any time.

"KUROHIME…" Keiji slowly raises his head, his ebony irises of his crying eyes slowly turns to green.  
"HOW… DARE… YOU…" Keiji's tone even frightens Natsuki. It sounds like a beast which wants to devour its prey desperately. The pressure is proven he is tearing the web apart.  
"HOW DARE YOU DID THIS! KUROHIMEEE!" Keiji roars at his enemy and his aura bursts out like gusty typhoon onto Kurohime.

At the same time, right in the Mashiro's mansion.  
Mashiro is looking at the forest through the large windows and worrying. She had been there since the night when Mai released her CHILD.  
All of the sudden, she sensed an aura with the mixture of anger, sadness and regret. She cannot stop herself from shivering and sweating, especially when she recognizes that feeling belongs to someone she knows.  
"This energy… isn't it…" Mashiro watches the rising red aura tower from the forest and guesses.

Meanwhile, not far from Keiji and the others, Nagi is also sensing the same thing like Mashiro did.  
"_This feeling… just like what I get from it last night."_ Nagi tries to get closer and observes the happening.

Just when everything is calming down, Kurohime is surprised to see what happens before her.  
The grass around Keiji had been cleared and the ground is formed a circle under his feet; the web that caught Natsuki and the others was disappeared; Natsuki and the others are safe right by Keiji's side.

But what amazes everyone is the rebuild armor Keiji is wearing now.

The cog wheel device now placed right at his heart position and planted onto the milky white upper body armor with its green tech-wire-like trails changed to light orange color; a pair of black bowl-shaped device with red stripes circling them are floating by his shoulder; the azure spandex suit that protects his body from neck to toe had changed into black color; the lower body that covers his waist part has the same pattern like the upper part. The obvious changes are his arms and legs are not wearing gloves and guards like the previous armor anymore, but now they are covered with silver chains, with floating urban language glowing in red color twirling slowly around them.

There is also a extra device on his back, it is a octagonal device with the dimension of eight inches in height and width, four inches in thickness; there are holes on the side of the box, except the top and the bottom platform.  
His helmet is changed to a crown-like guard that the bar rings around his forehead level and reveals his spiky yellow hair, two antennas, shaped like elf-ears, are attached to left and right side; his long ponytail is fully bound with black strings like a whip until only the hair can be seen at the edge. Natsuki looks carefully at the new armor and finds out Keiji's injuries are totally recovered. It is because once the P.R.I.N.C.E system was activated, it will heal the wielder automatically and recuperate his capability with the infused CHILD's power.

"Natsuki, please… bring Mai to the hospital… now." Keiji touches Mai's forehead and cheek gently.  
"But… she is…" Natsuki knows it is useless to send a dead to hospital, she rather stays here and fights along with Keiji.  
"She still lives, I know it." Keiji tells a fact that only he knows the reason.  
"Keiji…" Natsuki still insists of staying until Keiji's starts channeling his energy.

"GO!" Natsuki is speechless and looks at the fighter before her now.  
His anger is proven through the aura generated around his body and forms out an image she saw not long ago. Her inner sense is telling her that Keiji is not the one she knows anymore.

_Now, he is Kagutsuchi, the angered CHILD and want to kill his enemy so eargerly._

"Don't lose, Keiji." After leaving this message, Natsuki lands on Duran's back quickly and holds Mai close to her.  
"DURAN, go!" Like a servant it is, Duran runs away and leaves the dueling duo.

"Well, well, seems like the other you had awaken, isn't it, Keiji?" Kurohime says steadily, "But how much time do you still have? 30 minutes? 1 minute?" Keiji holds his knuckle harder, he don't give a damn for what she is talking now. In his mind, there is only one thing for him to do.  
"Kurohime… I will kill you…" Keiji bursts out the energy he held for so long and forms a reddish orange tornado around him, while Kurohime prepares her magnum and get herself ready.

Keiji's green eyes give her a deadly stare that even freezes the thin air among them before he shouts loudly.  
"I'M GONNA FUCKIN' KILL YOU!" Keiji gathers all the energy back and keep it dense within every part of his body. His act silences the environment immediately, not even a single flying leaf around him starts to fall until he dashes towards Kurohime. The impact of his start-up causes the plants behind him flow wildly.  
"What the…" Kurohime is shocked and starts firing at the fighter. The upgrades of Keiji's armor are proven again because Keiji now even can avoid the bullets while he is running towards them and circling Kurohime, all of her aims just hit the false figure that were left by his quick dodges.

When Kurohime finally finishes both of her magnums' magazines, Keiji grabs the chance to rush at her and impales a right uppercut at her stomach, his invoked power even makes Kurohime arches herself and vomits blood on instant. With all the anger and strength he compiles within his knuckles, Keiji rains countless of arm attacks upon any place he can hit on Kurohime's body: elbow strike, punch jab, palm thrust, knife hand chop and so on. His merciless and perilous strikes make Kurohime keeps screaming for the pain and injuries.

Keiji roars again before he gives her a finishing punch on her face, but Kurohime quickly strides backward and flies to the sky with her wings generated by her aura within a slight chance. _"That monster… doesn't he know how to treat a girl?"  
_When Kurohime thinks she is safe enough in the sky and thinking for a plan, Keiji stares at her from the ground angrily. The box device corresponds to his desire by blazing out bright yellow and orange flames through the rectangle holes on its side and forms a shape of flame wings like Kagutsuchi's,

"RUN AWAY?" Keiji jumps high in the air, spins once he reached the same height level with Kurohime's and stops to face Kurohime with his limbs spreads out along with fire sparks flows like scattering flower petals, then he flies towards with full speed. Kurohime, with her surprised emotion, punches on him on impulse. Keiji avoids it to the left, with his left knuckle punches at her face at the same time. Just when Kurohime is staggering, the red urban language on his limbs starts to shine brightly.

"ELEMENT changed…" When Keiji commands and strengthen his arm muscles, flames generates and circling around his wrists and ankles.  
"GAUNTLET AND GUARD!" then the flame shatters, morphs into the urban language on his arm. The languages starts getting brighter and collide themselves into the chains to breaks them apart. It results in a pair of red colored steel punching gloves, attached with black gauntlets decorated with embossed red spells. After he dashes forward and punches her left rib, the flame rings on his leg also do the same thing to the urban language on his legs and morph a pair of black leg guards. Their forms are like his gauntlets.

Keiji holds Kurohime's head, pulls her down and knees her chest. As she bounces back from him, Keiji continues with a roundhouse with the same leg on her side waist. Keiji keeps turning himself and kicking at the same target with a back swing kick, and then follows with a roundhouse again like helicopter's spinning rotor blades. Kurohime cannot do anything else but blocks them as hard as she can. When Keiji gives her a strong final kick and send her away, it grants her a chance to use Julia's web attack and spins them to cover Keiji's body, along with her dark aura strengthen them.

"Damn!" Keiji struggles to free himself, but Kurohime pulls him back into the forest quickly and flings him to the ground. Keiji vomits blood and coughs for the impact. Kurohime lands on the ground and uses all her strength to swing and smashes Keiji towards the trees around. The attack not only destroys the part of the jungle, but also damages Keiji more.  
Kurohime let goes the web after a few swings, then spread out the wings on her back and flies to the sky again. She morphs out her two magnum and starts charming spells, slowly her dark aura covers the gun, then it becomes bigger and longer, then finally it shatters and the magnum become a pair of long rifles.

"This is it, Keiji! Take this and be gone!"  
Kurohime takes her chances and starts to gather her remaining power into one shot with these powered firearms. The rifles are charged with her energy on the edge of the barrel that its coverage can cover Kurohime herself.

On the ground, Keiji looks at the blast with full of anger.  
_"You think I'm gonna let you do this?"_ The will that keeps Keiji's mind strong enough to make him breaks the web apart by using his armor's ability to blast himself out. Standing on ground and facing the incoming blow, Keiji slowly waves his arm in circular way in front of him, with charging his energy into his palm, finally he compiled the energy at the his abdomen. But, through the battle, he knew that Kurohime has the power of two CHILD within her – Yuuki Nao's JULIA and Higurashi Akane's HARRY, therefore he has to use all the energy he has within him now, including the power he lent from Mai and her CHILD.

"_Not enough, I need more."_ Keiji tries to compare energy level through the pressure he feels from Kurohime.  
He closes his eyes and whispers, _"Please, give me strength, Mom!"_

"EAT THIS!"  
Kurohime finally launches the shot that she prepared so long. The impact even repels herself backward to the higher sky level. The blast may look small at first from Keiji's point of view, but the size is increasing and almost reaching Keiji.

"_NOW!"  
_Keiji finally opens his eyes and stares at the coming blast with confidence, a lightning flash on his green irises like a signal he hoped most within his body. He moves a step backward to crouch himself down, then charges the energy ball he gathered with more power. The half-bowl devices by his shoulders detach and fly behind him, both of their flat surfaces channeling fire to each other and turning like a flame wheel to keep the fighter's power in dense. He roars and pushes the fireball towards the coming blast. Keiji even reactivates the flame wings on his back to create the force t stand against Kurohime's attack.  
As for the fireball, it may be smaller than Kurohime's shot, but it unbelievably able to stop the shot from approaching anymore.

"_What? It can't be! That's the power of two CHILD! How can he able to stand against it?"  
_Just when Kurohime wonders for Keiji's surpassing energy, she sees a phenomenon that indirectly answers her doubt.

Right behind Keiji's roaring and charging pose, she sees a figure of Kagutsuchi. It is spreading its fire wings and roaring fiercely, its six glowing green eyes shines in anger just like Keiji's.

"Only you, Kurohime! I cannot let you live to endanger the HiMEs anymore! HUAH!"  
Keiji shouts again and charges the rest of his energy on his attacking hands. Along with the final burst of the larger fire wings, Keiji charges them into the energy blast and empowers it. As a result, the fireball pierces through its opponent's and shooting straight to dark lady.

Kurohime finally releases her useless weapon and summons the absorbed CHILD – JULIA and HARRY – to protect her as a shield. What surprises her is the CHILD do not respond to her command anymore, she becomes panic and asks, "What are you doing? Protect me, you worthless idiot!"  
At the same time Kurohime is complaining, Keiji's attack had blasted through her barrier and reaching her.  
"Why? How can I lose to him? It can't be!!!" Kurohime yells her final words before been blown into ashes.

Keiji slowly lowers his posing hands, stands on the ground and watch Kurohime's end. He hears her final words and answer to the sky, "They won't listen to you because they know who they are facing, Kurohime. And most of all, you are not their respective HiME, who puts their life on the line to protect them, not sacrifices them blindly."

When Keiji's fire wings are cooling down, he notices both JULIA and HARRY had stood before him. Keiji smiles when he finds out their mind are free from Kurohime's bind. Keiji raises up his palm and welcomes them to him. Both CHILD comes to Keiji after they sensed his kind aura, Keiji sweeps their body gently and says, "Okay, I must send you both back to Nao and Akane. They need you more than anyone else." Just when Keiji starts to walk, his head is feeling dizzy and causes him kneels on the ground.

"What happened?" The answer reveals slowly, as he sees his hands start turning into green particles.  
He forces himself a crying smile and raises his head upon the sky. "Mom, I am sorry…" then he closes his eyes and whispers, "but don't worry, I will meet you soon enough."

Finally, Akitoh Keiji's body shines in bright light and blinds the environment around him.

**End of Saturday**

_Author's word:_

_Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did.  
__Hope you guys enjoy this fiction this far, I really appreciate it if you do, after all, that's what an author hopes most.  
__This chapter is mainly focusing onto fighting scene, different from the previous chapters of story telling. The description may be confusing, I hope it won't troublesome and I am sorry if it did.  
__Next chapter will be the end of this fiction, hope I can still receive your reviews and comments by that chapter._

_Until then, see you tomorrow._


	7. Sunday

_**Disclaimer**_

_I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline and some original characters.  
__Okay, this is the last one! Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much._

**P.R.I.N.C.E  
_By Shirogami_**

**Sunday (Epilogue) **

"So, you also do not have any news about him?"  
"Nope, even after the place was being taken care by 'First District', I still hearing nothing about the boy you referred." Sakomizu answers when he is checking on the flowers he planted.

"Do you think he's dead after such a fight?"  
"I… I don't know." Natsuki holds the long sleeves of her shirt. "I will go to that place again, I still have many questions to ask him." Then Natsuki goes for her bike.

It's been two days since Keiji's disappearance. Everyone of the class, including the teacher, was told that he ended his study earlier and went back to his hometown. No one is trying to ask for more since Director Kazahana Mashiro personally gave the news.

"So how do you feel today?" Nagi is standing inside a hospital ward. He is talking to a patient who Natsuki ignored once when she sent Takumi to the emergency treatment.  
"Nothing better than I can get out from here, this place smells sucks." Nao answers.  
"Not so fast, you shall rest more since you just recovered your CHILD and you ability." Nagi swings his index finger to warn Nao.

"Thanks for you useless concern and leave here at once, will you? It pisses me every time I see you." Nao materializes her claw ELEMENT and continues with a smirk. "because the more I see your white skin, the more I want to see the flesh below them." She finishes with licking her ELEMENT.

"Whatever you say, I am just doing my job by giving back what belongs to you." Then Nagi disappears in the shadow slowly.  
After Nagi is away, Nao lies on the bed, she suddenly smiles.  
_"Just who is that idiot able to beat that woman to get my JULIA back?"_

On the other hand, the room next to Nao is filled with joy and laugh.  
"Mai… thank god you are okay, I thought you're died…" Mikoto sobs and hugs the orange-haired patient.  
"My, my, Mikoto. Stop doing this. You are embarrassing me." Mai tries to stop her when Mikoto is rubbing her face on her breast.  
"Let her be, she just too happy to see you again. After all, you'd been fell unconscious and under emergency period for two days." Chie explains her situation, while Aoi's cheek blushes while she is seeing Mikoto's act and comparing her breast size.

"Is it so? Sorry for making you guys worrying about me." Mai bows for her friends' caring.  
"Come on, skip the formalities, will you? That's what friends are for." Chie acts cool when she is saying this. Her act just made Mai forced herself a smile and sweat flows behind her head.

All of the sudden, someone knocks the ward door and Mai answers it by letting in.  
"Sorry for interrupting." Natsuki opens the door and comes to the scene.  
Chie and Aoi greets with her each other, and then leave because they have other things to catch up around.

"Natsuki, thanks for coming." Mai says.  
"It's okay. First of all, are you feeling well?" Natsuki finds herself a seat around the patient bed.  
"Better. Thanks for sending me here, the doctor even shocked when he found out I can stay alive." Mai touches her stomach and answers. That is the place Kurohime's attack stabbed through with the lance.

"I shall find no surprise for his reaction, especially when he found out that a girl could survive from a fatal stab like this. But what surprised me is you healing ability, the wound was almost covered automatically without a scar after the emergency treatment." Natsuki suddenly remembers the same scene she saw earlier and continues, "Is this because of Keiji?"

"I'm not sure. By the time I was impaled, all I felt is I am dying. I had a feeling that I kept falling into a bottomless darkness on that time. And then suddenly, someone hugged me from behind, kept whispering _Stay alive, Mai, Please stay alive…_"  
Suddenly Mai holds her hands together tightly and continues, "It felt so warm, Natsuki. I never felt such way after my parents' death. It kept reminding me that I had to keep on living and stay with those who I care, those who I treasure. By the time I realized that, I was already on this bed and been told that I was lucky for able to survive." Mai smiles after she finishes.

"And on top of that, may be it is his blood what saved you by giving you the same healing ability he had." Natsuki figures the reason.  
"By the way, Natsuki, have you found Keiji yet?"  
Natsuki swings her head, "I'd been searching everywhere I can. But still has no sign of him."  
"Is it so? I wished if he is fine."

"Hey, hey, is the wound hurting you?" Natsuki notices the tears and asks.  
"No, not at all. It's just…" Mai tries to holds her tears but failed.

"You sure this is fine, leaving without seeing them?" Mashiro talks to the figure who is standing in front of the rock of Kagutsuchi's seal. His waving ponytail makes him easy to be recognized.  
"This will be the best way. I might want to stay here forever once I saw them." Keiji turns around and looks at Mashiro.  
His forehead and left arm are bandaged. He is wearing the same clothes he wore as a jogger.

"Besides, I don't belong here, Director Kazahana. You know it well, right?"  
"May be you're right." Mashiro smiles for his strong will of making decision.  
"Anyway, Director Kazahana, can you help me for the last time?" Keiji bows and requests, "Please dispose the letter I gave you on the first day I came, I cannot leave a trace about my true identity here."  
"Don't worry, I will handle it." Mashiro understands his mean and agrees.  
"Thank you."

Just when Keiji finished, Nagi shows up from nowhere and interrupts their conversation.  
"Leave so soon, Keiji-kun?" Nagi fans himself with a book in his hands.  
"I have to." Keiji insists.  
"Man, Natsuki and Mai will be sad if they knew about this." Nagi bends up his arms and wonders.

"They will be fine without me. But before that, have you returned the CHILD to their HiMEs?" Keiji stares at Nagi and questions.  
"Of course I did, they still need their ability after all." Nagi moves backward when he looks at Keiji's eyes.  
"And stop looking me like that!"

"Is it so? Sorry about that." Keiji holds his armor device and facing the rock, then an azure warp portal appears slowly.  
"Wait! Take this with you, just to kill the boredom." Nagi hands over the book to Keiji.  
"_An evening with Tomokazu Seki_, what is this?" Keiji wonders.  
"Don't you know, he is a famous actor and I found out your voice just sounds like him." Nagi explains.  
"Hmm… well, a book won't hurt much, thank you." Keiji took the souvenir and prepares to leave.

Before Keiji steps into the warp, he rethinks of everything happened here and especially when he thought he was dead back then. But he did not realize, that he had overused his armor energy to kill Kurohime until it deactivated itself by turning into green particles.  
He turns around again bows at the white haired duo, "Thank you very much, for everything, and Goodbye."  
Then Keiji leaps into the portal and then disappears without a trace.

"There he goes." Nagi holds his hand behind his head and continues, "But I just cannot get it. How could he able to defeat that girl's attack? It is the power of two CHILD!"  
"Nagi, you may treat CHILD as a tool or a servant, but they are also emotional when it involves HiME's life, and it is Keiji's passion that synchronized with Kagutsuchi's empowers himself, rather like Kurohime who just simply using the CHILD's ability without putting feeling within it." Mashiro explains while Nagi is pushing her back to the mansion.  
"You may be right, but it does not explain why he is able to synchronize with Kagutsuchi easily, you know that beast is furious and wild."

"You know _Anagram_?" Mashiro smiles and asks.  
"You mean a game of forming a word by changing the order of the letter of the same word?" Nagi replies.  
"Try it with 'Akitoh', then you will know your answer." Mashiro chuckles while Nagi is wondering.

Mashiro looks upon the clear blues sky and remembers her conversation with Keiji at his arrival.

"_Keiji, just why are you willing to help the HiMEs so desperately?"  
_"_It's because, Director Kazahana, I am also a CHILD - a Son of a HiME."_

**The End**

_Author's word:_

_Here it is, the end for my other story. How do you feel about it? Hope you guys enjoy this fiction this far, I really appreciate it if you do, after all, that's what an author hopes most.  
__As you can see, I left some clues for you to play with, hope you enjoy the concept. If you do, plz kindly review or PM me if you want to know some trivia about this fiction, may be I will consider an extra page for those things, but it depends on the quantity of the reviews or PMs.  
__By here, I would like to thank all the staff which giving us this great Mai-Hime the Animation. This fiction wouldn't be figured without that good work._

_It may be a long time from now, but yet if I got another inspiration to write a story again, we might able to see again in the future.  
__Until then, be well my dear readers._


	8. FAQs & SPOILERS

**FAQ and SPOILERS**

I firstly have no intention to write this, but after I kept receiving Reviews / PMs that says I played a love triangle with OC, Mai, and Natsuki, twists the HiME's dimension and etc, I decided to write in order to clear out something.

In the mean time, I take some wild guess from some paragraph / chapters that might be the one made you thought such way: **CAUTIONS! SPOILERS AHEAD!**

Q: When does this fiction take place?  
A: This story starts from time before Mai gets her CHILD in animation, with slight changes.

Q: Is this a lovey-dovey / shoujo-ai story?  
A: Geez. Are you reading this with a lovey-dovey / shoujo-ai mind? Mark my SUMMARY!

Q: Why do you make Natsuki fall in the love triangle?  
A: If you guys talking about Natsuki is CO-OPERATING with OC because of she kind of LIKES him, it is wrong.  
Let me remind something that Natsuki is searching for the responsible HiME / the name list of the HiME for some incident, which I don't remember much but it exists in animation, and OC knows her ability even without she tells him.  
If you are in Natsuki's place, will you do something to get those 'precious information'? Don't you catch that she even points a gun at OC's head to get it?  
But OC demands that he can't tell much information about the HiME to her, not even revealing Akane's name for her incident. Getting close and give him a hand is the only thing she can choose to know it.  
If this still doesn't explain anything, then PM me which part you think is remind you of love triangle.

Q: I think you are wrong, Natsuki is a les!  
A: If you guys saying that Natsuki is a les and it is impossible to love a guy. As I said, THIS FICTION TAKES PLACE BEFORE MAI GETS HER CHILD! May be I am wrong here, but I remember that she realizes her sex preference after the Spending-Nights-With-Shizuru incident, which is far ahead of the day Mai gets Kagutsuchi.  
If I am right enough, Natsuki almost vomits and feel disgusting (am I right?) when Yukino (may be I miss out her name, she is the HiME whose CHILD can observe like surveillance camera) tells that truth at Shizuru's garden, rather than have a blushing face.

Q: How can the OC get Natsuki involve with this?  
A: Come on, Natsuki happens to bump in by her curiosity, he does not want her to get involve, he angers her to go away for a final battle that he might not win. He knows the HiME's existence and history will change if they fall into the bad OC's hand.

Q: Why Mai feel different at OC?  
A: May be my descriptions on the character is not good enough, I actually manage to let the OC have some similarity like Tate Yuichi (sorry for those who hates this pairing) like his sound (check out when Nagi said his sound like Tomokazu Seki, the CV for Tate Yuichi), yellow spiky hair, a kendo user (first few chapters) and his back that gives Mai a mirage of Tate's.

Q: Is the OC Mai's son?  
A: Yes, OC is Mai's son. His real name is Tokiha Keiji, 'Akitoh' is the anagram of 'Tokiha'.

Q: He says he loves Mai!  
A: Why not? I love my mother.

FAQs about P.R.I.N.C.E. system  
- Obviously, it is an ARMOR; not a male-based HiME.  
- Why I use P.R.I.N.C.E? Okay, lets make some thinking, If HiME means princess in Japanese, then what is the title for a princess' / queen's son? Prince, get it?  
- P.R.I.N.C.E is actually not powerful until it is infused with a CHILD power from a HiME. Therefore HiME's power is still overwhelms a 'locked' P.R.I.N.C.E user. (check out when OC fight with another one who has CHILD power)  
- Like I said, OC is Mai's son, which he represents Kagutsuchi. Therefore I manage to let him obtaining the weaker version of the reborn ability - the healing factor, almost like X-men's Wolverine. The ARMOR just made it faster with the infused CHILD's energy.  
- If OC cannot get stronger after the P.R.I.N.C.E. is unlocked and infused with a CHILD, what's the point of using it?

Q: Your OCs are not original.  
A: Okay, why don't you make a different one out from millions of animation, comics, novels and even dumped character designs?

Q: I think your OC are almost godly!  
A: Really? Even after he asked help from the HiMEs? Even after he almost dead by the first battle? He just getting stronger with another assisted 'plug-in' like the device, then the unlocked system.

If these spoiler points I wrote here still not satisfying or it is something I HAVEN'T POINT OUT, your PM is still welcomed, other than that, I will trash it.

I am sorry if the words above hurt, but I, as an author who really worked this story out by almost three months of discussing, refining and grammar correcting, just cannot see my work been accused by something that it is not supposed to be for.

I hope you understand, to me, reading a story is like having a meal, you need to bite, chew, taste it before you swallow it, then you can get its real flavor, taste and the joy of having it. Will you get those feelings by just gulping it into your stomach?


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